Bay Area labs to host business partnership event

Three-day virtual event will showcase how businesses can tap into national labs' resources

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, as part of the Bay Area Lab Innovation Networking Center (LINC), will showcase partnership mechanisms at a three-day event specifically designed for businesses. The series, dubbed “Open the Door to Partnerships,” takes place April 27-29 at noon each day and features fast-paced 45-minute programs, alongside opportunities to ask specific questions directly to lab officials. 

The first session (April 27) provides information on Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunities, guidance for navigating the national lab ecosystem and insight into non-intuitive funding opportunities via the national labs. The second session (April 28) will guide attendees through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements and Strategic Partnership Projects with specific industry examples. During the final session (April 29), participants will discover no-cost ways to engage with the labs and learn about the DOE's Lab Partnering Service resource.

Throughout the sessions, participants will hear from companies about their laboratory partnership experiences. Technology transfer officials will engage directly with guests, so businesses in attendance can immediately have their questions answered. 

Vanessa Z. Chan, chief commercialization officer and director of the U. S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions, will be speaking about DOE funding opportunities for industry on April 27.

Alina Adams, CEO of Artveoli, will be present her experiences and successes stemming from a partnership with LLNL. The partnership focuses on a microfluidic high-density photobioreactor that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen. Adams’ “Partnership Pathways” presentation will take place on April 28.

Robin Miles, director of the High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI), will guide businesses through how to leverage programs like the HPC4EI as part of the "No-Cost Connections" segment on April 29.

Hannah Farquar, a business development executive within LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships Office, will be answering guest’s questions live during the three-day event.

“Each of these four Bay Area labs have much to offer businesses interested in harnessing the tools, talent and technologies within these institutions. Their combined research experience has served as the foundation for billions of dollars of commercial products and services across a variety of industry sectors. Businesses that attend the LINC event will learn how to leverage these capabilities,” said Richard Rankin, director of LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships Office.

In collaboration with FedTech, a national leader in commercializing federal research and development, LINC provides “front door” access to the four DOE national laboratories in the San Francisco Bay Area, linking corporations, startups and investors to the DOE’s world-class research efforts and unique facilities. SLAC, Lawrence Berkeley, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories are part of the DOE 17-lab complex and roughly $12-billion per year research and development portfolio. LINC is a resource that provides the private sector streamlined access to technology transfer professionals. FedTech, a national leader in commercializing federal research and development, is co-hosting the event. 

“How to navigate the national lab ecosystem is something startups and businesses ask us about regularly,” said Jake Kramer, managing partner at FedTech. “There is an abundance of great resources and mechanisms available, and this event series is going to show businesses how to leverage them,” Kramer said. 

Companies of all sizes and technology types are welcome to attend this free virtual event. To register for “Open the Door to Partnerships,” click here. 

To learn more about the Bay Area Lab Innovation Networking Center (LINC), visit the web.