Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC): a model for public-sector technology transfer
Sally Rood
Federal Laboratory Consortium
Julie Chambliss
FLC Management Support
Cherry Hill
NJ 08034
PP: 23
Article Text
In the United States, since passage in 1980 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act, every federal department and agency is required to encourage the transfer of technology. In 1986, the U.S. Congress chartered the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), which consists of more than 700 research laboratories and centers in the 16 federal technology- based departments and agencies. Federal laboratories include, for example, the DOE national labs, NASA field centers, defense labs, and the laboratories comprising the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These labs operate unique facilities not found in universities and industry.
Since as early as 1974, actually, the FLC has served as a forum for lab personnel to meet with their peers to share their experiences and successes in transferring technologies. The FLC has also brought together these labs with potential users of government- developed technologies. For the most part, the users are in industry, universities, and state & local governments. Just recently, the FLC has amended its by-laws to allow these outside partners to become FLC members just like its more traditional federal members.
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