Barbara E. Selby
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                     
July 9, 1992
(Phone:  703/557-5609)
 
Joe Karpinski
Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/586-6868)
 
 
RELEASE:  92-104
 
NASA AND DOE ENHANCE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO INDUSTRY 


    To help bolster the competitiveness of American industry, the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department 
of Energy (DOE) have formed an alliance to enhance the transfer of 
technologies developed in their laboratories to American 
enterprise.

    "This agreement provides a solid framework and opportunity to 
draw together the experience and resources of both agencies," said 
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.  "It demonstrates our 
commitment to strengthen and improve interagency cooperation in 
this vital area.  

    "We at NASA develop cutting-edge technology for our 
aeronautics and space programs.  We view technology transfer as a 
way of life.  It's one of our top priorities.  

    Through an agreement signed today by Goldin and DOE Secretary 
James D. Watkins, the two organizations will formally collaborate 
on technology transfer activities.  

    Areas of cooperation include outreach to business and 
non-profit research organizations, access to federal technology 
resources, training and education, dissemination of scientific and 
technical information, and technology transfer policy and program 
analysis.

    "Some people ask why NASA spends money in space," Goldin said, 
"We don't.  We spend it all on Earth -- and in the United States.  
The one percent of the federal budget -- and one-quarter of one 
percent of the GNP -- we invest in NASA is a vital investment in 
our nation's competitiveness."



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    NASA and DOE are among the federal agencies carrying out the 
National Technology Initiative (NIT), a nationwide series of 
conferences aimed at raising business awareness of opportunities 
to use federal research resources to develop competitive 
technologies.

    "One of the benefits of the NTI has been the unprecedented 
level of cooperation in commercializing technologies it has 
produced among the federal agencies with research programs," 
Secretary of Energy Watkins said.  "Through this agreement, DOE 
and NASA are putting in place formal procedures that will help 
assure that cooperation between our two agencies continues for the 
benefit of American competitiveness."

    The agreement identifies the organizational units within each 
agency that will be responsible for implementing cooperation in 
technology transfer.   NASA's Office of Commercial Programs' 
Technology Transfer Division conducts NASA's technology transfer 
effort, with program elements that include six Regional Technology 
Centers, the NASA field centers, the Computer Software Management 
and Information Center, the Technology Application Center and the 
NASA Technology Applications Team.

    At DOE, the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor and 
the Office of Technology Utilization oversees technology 
commercialization.  The department's cooperative research with 
private partners is carried out primarily by DOE's network of 
laboratories.   

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