Technology News – 2006 Archive
Aberdeen Proving Ground –
A National Technology Center That Can Help You
The Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in northern Maryland is a national technology center and a leader in research, development, testing, and evaluation. APG has over 60 tenant organizations, employs approximately 13,000 personnel, most of them civilian, and has annual expenditures of over $3 billion. APG capabilities and technologies include biotechnology, materials R&D, health and human performance, preventive medicine, high performance computing, toxicology, automotive testing, environmental testing, chemical and materials analysis, rapid prototyping using computer-aided design and manufacturing, and chemical and biological detection.
Business Development Office
The APG Business Development Office (BDO) is a one-stop shop for industry, academia, and government agencies wanting to do business with the world-class laboratories and testing facilities at APG. Public law requires that federal laboratories make their technologies and capabilities available for business and industry via technology transfer agreements. Patent License Agreements (PLA), Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA), Test Services Agreements (TSA), and other agreements support technology transfer. The PLA assists companies or organizations wanting to license a patented technology developed by the laboratories at APG. This mechanism offers licensees an opportunity to utilize and incorporate APG's cutting-edge R&D into their business plans. A CRADA allows an industry partner and an APG laboratory to work jointly on a technology and share the results of the efforts. With this kind of agreement, the parties can share facilities, equipment, and personnel. This type of agreement can be used for both a "spin in" and "spin out" technology. A TSA leverages the unique test capabilities, facilities, and personnel available at APG. Upon completion of the agreed-upon testing, the partner organization receives the test results.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The BDO receives many phone calls, e-mails, and visits each week from people interested in working with APG. It is also an internal resource that assists APG organizations investigating partnerships and collaborations with outside industry and institutions. The BDO facilitates various technology transfer mechanisms and other agreements. It has helped hundreds of large and small companies from across the country gain access to APG organizations. BDO personnel also work closely with state and local offices and councils on economic development to help start-up companies or to help established companies expand and grow as a result of partnerships with APG. According to Roy Albert, the BDO's on-site manager, the Federal Technology Transfer Program provides businesses with a great opportunity for growth. "This program is truly a gem for the business community," he said. "From small or start-up businesses to large corporations and government agencies, organizations can tap into and benefit from the federal government's R&D investment made each year at APG. As a result of the recent Base Realignment and Closure recommendations, APG is poised to be an even greater resource to the business community in coming years." APG is scheduled to receive a substantial gain in R&D activities and personnel as a result of these recommendations, he added.
For more information on the unique capabilities and facilities at APG, visit stb.apg.army.mil/BDO/ or contact Roy Albert at 410-273-5062 or roy.albert@apg.army.mil.
