Technology Maturation
UT-Battelle Maturation
Innovation is preeminent to remaining competitive in an increasingly demanding, technology-driven global market. To facilitate the flow of innovation, impactful technologies and applications must be transferred from our national laboratory into the hands of industry to drive value.
Depending on the stage of development, technologies require different levels of support to make this transfer viable. Some may need additional years of research and development effort, while others may only need a small infusion of time and capital to be attractive for licensing by industry partners who can then successfully introduce them to the marketplace. For the latter, UT-Battelle and the Department of Energy have provided maturation funding to support projects with compelling promise as candidates for commercialization.
The maturation funds are intended to mature technologies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Early-stage technologies that are matured toward a viable product stand a greater chance of long term commercial success; and in many cases, co-funding or in-kinds are supplied by an industry partner. Technology maturation funding can often provide the necessary link between an innovative process or technology and a real world application with powerful market potential.