June 28, 2016
CRANE, Ind. — Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) Technology Transfer (T2) Office recently entered into two Patent License Agreements (PLA) and a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with technology-based small business, CelerAscent LLC, of Madison, IN.
This partnership is focused on the commercialization of an NSWC Crane developed technology and patent entitled Photonic Hybrid Receive Antenna (U.S. Patent Application 15-140,892, International Patent Application PCT/US16/29707). Commercialization efforts of this technology are focused on search and rescue and vessel traffic applications that employ direction finders for signal detection.
“The benefit of such agreements to NSWC Crane is that they allow for the expansion of technical knowledge in areas that align Crane’s mission and technical capabilities. Additionally, such agreements foster interactions that further T2 goals and objectives,” explained Brooke Pyne, who serves as NSWC Crane Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) and Technology Transfer (T2) Program Manager and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Manager.
These agreements provide the state with developed technology that can be applied in the commercial sector for economic development. This includes engagement with federal shareable assets, such as Intellectual Property (IP), facilities, equipment and other assets for public use. Additionally, the benefit for CelerAscent is further-developed technology as well as access to the inventor. The license provides CelerAscent with the right to make, sell or use the IP that is captured in the patent. The CRADA provides CelerAscent with access to the inventor and technical data that assists with the commercial endeavor.
In order to accelerate commercialization efforts based on these agreements, CelerAscent is expanding its research and development team to include additional industry and research university partners. The specialized personnel and facilities offered by these organizations will complement the assets contributed by NSWC Crane. “Although the Hybrid Antenna is still an early stage technology, we anticipate the development by this collaborative partnership will yield a very significant leap forward in both defense and commercial applications,” elaborated CelerAscent President Allison Ouellet.
Navy Technology Transfer is the business of transferring technology originally developed by the Navy to other government organizations, government laboratories, government contractors or commercial enterprises. T2 emphasis is usually placed on the transfer of Navy-developed technology to commercial enterprises to strengthen the U.S. industrial base.
A CRADA provides federal laboratories with a vehicle to facilitate the transfer of commercially useful technologies from federal labs to the private sector.
NSWC Crane’s Technology Transfer (T2) Program helps link federal research and development to the private sector. The program has partnerships with more than 100 businesses, individuals and academic institutions. Currently there are 33 active CRADAs and 161 active agreements for fiscal year 2016.
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today’s warfighter.