Outcome 3.4: Partnerships & Technology Transfer

Facilitate the transfer of NASA technology and engage in partnerships with other government agencies, industry, and international entities to generate U.S. commercial activity and other public benefits.

Other Information:

While technology and innovation are critical to successfully accomplishing our missions, an additional benefit is the positive impact on the Nation's economy. Recognizing a broader application of fundamental technology, we make a determined effort to transfer technologies outside of NASA and to develop technology partnerships. Our technology programs support our leadership in key research areas, fuel rapid improvements in mission capabilities, foster a robust industrial base, improve our competitive position in the international marketplace, enable new industries, and contribute to economic growth. We seek partnerships and cooperative activities to develop technology that is applicable to our mission needs and contributes to the Nation's commercial competitiveness in global markets. Three key themes underscore our engagement with the emerging commercial space sector: considering the private sector as an investment partner, sharing the cost of developing a capability; purchasing services rather than hardware when possible; and fostering the creation of broader opportunities for innovation. Pursuing these partnership themes brings direct value to our current and future missions, advances the interests of the partners, and encourages additional commercial space development. Beyond partnership strategies, we seek to transfer NASA technologies directly to other government agencies, the national aerospace industry, and the broader U.S. commercial sector. NASA-spurred advances in energy, communication, health, materials science, and other fields generate spinoff applications that benefit the Nation. We have established a core team at each NASA Center charged with technology transfer, licensing, and new partnership development, and we have tasked them to work closely with scientists and engineers to match our technologies with the needs of organizations external to NASA. We actively coordinate with state and local governments and regional economic development organizations to assess the market and develop strategies that will meet the emerging needs of NASA and our partners. We will continue to identify non-traditional strategies and approaches to engaging external partners, such as the use of auctions that highlight NASA patents available for licensing.

Stakeholder(s):

• Scientists


• Engineers


• State Governments


• Local Governments


• Regional Economic Development Organizations

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content