The Challenge
Portfolio managers in technology transfer offices often have many projects that they oversee. To successfully market their technology, however, technology managers must possess an in-depth understanding of each innovation in their portfolio. Due to limited time and resources, this can be a significant challenge. At NASA’s Glenn Research Center, technology managers are responsible for an intellectual property portfolio of over 200 innovations! How do you motivate an internal team to dive deeper into their intellectual property portfolio so they can be more strategic and impactful?
The Approach
Digging deep is not fun for many. People are much more likely to get on board if they know that their efforts will attract positive attention for their team. IVT capitalized on this trait at NASA Glenn by developing an annual list of featured technologies. These technologies were highlighted on the external-facing promotion website and featured in a visually engaging and informative printed calendar that was widely shared. For a technology to be featured, however, technology managers must first conduct thorough research.
The Outcome
These annual calendars became highly anticipated showpieces for the Technology Transfer Office over many years. The efforts to generate the annual list of featured technologies and produce the calendar resulted in more well-informed technology managers who were better equipped to be strategic in their efforts to transfer the technology out of the laboratory. Furthermore, NASA innovators became excited about the opportunity to be featured in the calendar and on the website, which drove increased engagement across the organization.
The yearly featured technologies calendar, produced by IVT, is a massive effort that requires planning months in advance, interfacing with technology managers and researchers, and adhering to an aggressive schedule. IVT excels at this effort, and NASA Glenn researchers look forward to this calendar.
Chief, NASA Glenn Research Center’s Technology Transfer Office
