CRANE, Ind. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Ivy Tech Community College Gayle and Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship have found success in reaching regional businesses with their free training course, called Federal Lab Technology Transfer for Beginners. Since its inception last year, the program has supported more than 40 businesses and almost 80 people from 14 states and Washington, D.C.
“[The course] addressed my concerns about tech development and innovation, empowering me to negotiate better license terms and secure long-term support from federal labs,” said Janet Anamary Namutebi, founder of EcoGrains in an Ivy Tech Community College news article last year. “Moreover, it made me realize the several potential revenue opportunities that can be leveraged for patented technologies, especially with the shared success stories and podcasts.”
These online modules equip business owners and entrepreneurs to navigate the licensing process and explore a vast portfolio of available technologies. More than 100 federal labs, including NSWC Crane, showcase their licensable technologies on TechLink.
“We’re proud to provide a course that helps local businesses tap into opportunities to innovate and grow,” said Steve Bryant, Executive Director of the Gayle and Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship at Ivy Tech Bloomington and Regional Director of the South Central Indiana SBDC. “We look forward to the continued impact in our region.”
Technology Transfer (T2) is the process of private industry and entrepreneurs using Intellectual Property developed by a federal laboratory. T2 allows businesses to leverage federal laboratory research and development (R&D), cutting down costly and time-consuming business investments to streamline products to market. It allows research completed through federal funding to flow back into the private sector through technology licensing.
"At NSWC Crane, we want to demystify technology transfer and show people its real-world impact," said Maria Duran, NSWC Crane Technology Transfer Director. "From the GPS in your car to countless other innovations, T2 is all around us. Being Indiana's sole federal laboratory means we have a responsibility to support our local businesses and innovators, and we are committed to making our resources as accessible as possible."
According to a 2024 TechLink report, 29 percent of businesses consider government laboratories as a source of technical inspiration—companies that do collaborate with government labs are more likely than their peers to post better performance for innovation metrics.
"NSWC Crane is committed to collaborating with its innovation ecosystem,” said Duran. “This online course makes these resources accessible to businesses, while most other available resources are geared toward T2 practitioners. NSWC Crane creates new technologies every year, many of which can be leveraged by innovators in the broader community, nationwide. This course bridges that gap, providing entrepreneurs with the knowledge and connections to transform cutting-edge research into real-world solutions. By combining NSWC Crane's technical expertise and Ivy Tech's educational reach across 75 campuses, we've created a user-friendly resource that empowers businesses to leverage federal lab innovations."
The program has been awarded for its success. It received the 2025 Indiana Uplands Regional Collaboration Award and contributed to NSWC Crane receiving the Federal Laboratory Consortium 2025 Regional Technology Transfer Award.
To learn more about Federal Lab Technology Transfer for Beginners and how to participate, please follow this link: Sign Up Here!
About NSWC Crane | NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electromagnetic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi-spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.