IS IT TRUE? PART 2 September 8, 2011 Tech Transfer Programs

IS IT TRUE? PART 2 September 8, 2011 Tech Transfer Programs

IS IT TRUE that Republican candidate for Mayor of Evansville Lloyd Winnecke spoke about the importance of the technology transfer agreement and entrepreneurship many times in last night’s debate?…that in terms of truly transforming an economy from what Evansville is to an economy of the future that is based on intellectual property, tech transfer does have that potential?…that companies that design solutions based on invention and innovation are in a much better position to stay profitable in the United States and have the margins to pay favorable wages to their entire work force?…that jobs that are based on brainpower instead of brawn seldom get caught up in a “race to the bottom” because they out innovate the competition?

IS IT TRUE that Apple was started in a garage in Cupertino, CA and is still headquartered after 35 years at One Infinite Loop in Cupertino, CA just 3 miles from the garage where it started?…that a company that is only 10% of the financial, engineering, and marketing success of an Apple would totally transform the wage base, the tax base, and even the quality of life of Evansville, Indiana if we could just grow such a place?…that yes, this writer just used the word GROW and not the word ATTRACT or BUY to describe how an Apple headquarters happens for any community?…that inside the extensive patent portfolio of the Federal Lab Consortium which is the goldmine that candidate Winnecke is speaking of there are protected pieces of intellectual property that really and truly have the potential to transform the Evansville economy if and only if the Evansville business community rises to the challenge to identify and commercialize these patents?

IS IT TRUE that there are really only four things that are needed to make this technology transfer agreement work for Evansville?…that these things in order are BRAINS, MONEY, AMBITION, and TIME?…that without some very high powered brainpower in the areas of engineering, business, and marketing that no opportunities within this patent portfolio will be identified?…that even if all of the brainpower is in place and directed that if there is NO EQUITY CAPITAL available that the potential will not be able to be tapped?…that if Evansville businesses and entrepreneurs do not have the drive and ambition to pursue such wealth building opportunities that throwing BRAINS and CAPITAL at this will be a waste?…that given the combination of BRAINS, MONEY, and AMBITION that there will be some failures but that in the long run Evansville will see prosperity from a tech transfer program because it is a numbers game that is destined for eventual success?…that putting the BRAINS and MONEY in place to investigate these opportunities will be the basis for any future success with technology transfer?

IS IT TRUE that the laser was patented in the early 1960’s, used in military applications through the 70’s, and finally found its way into high volume commercial products in the 90’s?…that laser diodes that had a 99% failure rate and cost many thousands of dollars in the 70’s are now commodities that are routinely produced by the millions for commercial products that nearly everyone owns?…that the realization of mass commercial acceptance and the profits that came with it was a 30 year cycle from first invention to mass commercialization?…that while this piece of Mr. Winnecke’s plan may not solve this week’s problems that in the long run it may be the catalyst that Evansville can leverage to become a nationally relevant city that is the envy of other cities?…that the State of Maryland tech transfer program (Tedco) that the GAGE deal with Crane was patterned after has been cited as responsible for the creation of 60,000 jobs in Maryland in a ten year period?…that these jobs have been cited as averaging $80,000 per year?…that this is the kind of transformation that we can all benefit from?

IS IT TRUE that if done correctly the Technology Transfer Agreement that GAGE has could even be used to attract educated professionals with BRAINS, MONEY, and AMBITION?…that in September of 2008 when this agreement was signed that it was one of only a handful of such agreements in the entire nation and the only one spanning three state borders?…that we wonder just what has become of that potential since the agreement was signed?