Title: Evaluating the Return on Investment for Department of Defense to private sector technology transfer

Authors: Richard M. Franza, Rajesh Srivastava

Addresses: Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA. ' Lutgert College of Business, Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL 33965, USA

Abstract: The United States Government policy indicates maximising Return On Investment (ROI) on R&D as a fundamental reason for technology transfer. Under public laws, federal agencies, are required to spend 0.5/ of their overall budget on technology transfer. Since no models exist to evaluate transfer ROI, this paper presents a framework for such a model. Individual Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRDAs) between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and private firms are analysed using the model proposed, using objective and subjective measures. Sensitivity analysis is used to identify the best CRDA choice over a range of parameter values.

Keywords: public to private sector technology transfer; ROI; return on investment; federal laboratories; Department of Defense; USA; United States private sector; R&D policy; research and development; CRDAs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2009.024390

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2009 Vol.8 No.2/3, pp.286 - 298

Published online: 02 Apr 2009 *

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