NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION CHINA LAKE, Calif. - NAWCWD recently entered a collaborative framework with a Boston-based innovation and technology commercialization company that will help facilitate the development and transfer of military technology for commercial use.

The collaborative framework between NAWCWD and Allied Minds Federal Innovations will help identify potential uses for military technologies in commercial applications, as well as facilitate further development of those technologies in commercial markets.

“A few years ago, NAWCWD put new emphasis on documenting its technical innovations and being more business wise in creating value, beyond the apparent military value, from its intellectual property,” said Scott O’Neil, NAWCWD executive director. “NAWCWD's patent portfolio is huge and the number of new patent disclosures filed annually continues to grow. It is good for the U.S. taxpayers, who underwrite the government's research agenda, and the Navy to identify those patents that have commercial viability and to aggressively support the utilization of those inventions for the greater good. NAWCWD, in partnership with AMFI, can create such value.”

In 2011, President Obama requested that both the federal government and the private sector increase the prevalence and success of entrepreneurs across the country. He issued a presidential memorandum that communicated the need for the U.S. Department of Defense to increase the rate at which it transfers technologies to the private sector for commercialization.

Through public-private collaboration, NAWCWD personnel will work with AMFI to improve the results of technology transfer and commercialization activities.

“The pairing of NAWCWD’s substantial intellectual property portfolio and technical expertise with AMFI’s capital resources and commercialization know-how is expected to yield numerous benefits for both organizations while improving the economic impact of federal investments in research and development,” said Dylan Riley innovation director for NAWCWD.

Benefits for NAWCWD include the influx of commercialization expertise and start-up experience that AMFI can provide, the opportunity to maximize the value of NAWCWD produced intellectual property into the incorporation of new U.S. companies and opportunities for licensing intellectual property produced at NAWCWD. AMFI will benefit from the opportunity to access intellectual property across multiple installations within the Defense Laboratory Enterprise, the connection to NAWCWD produced intellectual property and scientific community and the opportunity to seek exclusive licenses for the commercialization of background and subject inventions.

NAWCWD has a history of developing technologies that are used commercially. The chemiluminescent light stick was developed by NAWCWD personnel between 1962 and 1986 for military use as emergency lighting in the field. Today, this technology is found worldwide in objects such as novelty items, safety kits and fishing lures. Stop-action video was originated in 1975 by NAWCWD test range personnel to provide stop-action images of high speed video test events. This technology soon transferred to industry and is used in sports broadcasts.

“AMFI and NAWCWD have been working long and hard to get this partnership in place,” O’Neil said. “AMFI's business model, expertise and experience are critical for the success of our intellectual property strategy. We are extremely excited about this partnership.”