General Motors is testing aluminum engines treated with wear-resistant coatings developed in a joint research project with Sandia. Larry Byrnes of GM shows Sandia President Paul Robinson (left) and Executive Vice President John Crawford (right) one of the engines in a Saturn test vehicle after a 1,500-mile journey from Michigan to New Mexico. The research provided Sandia with improved coatings for neutron generators in weapon systems.

Each year, industry produces several billion dollars worth of products made possible by technology developed at Sandia. Examples range from the laminar air-flow clean room used by microcircuit manufacturers to diamond drill bits used by the petroleum industry.

Sandia has been transferring technology to industry for more than three decades, especially where such agreements benefit the Laboratories' primary mission for the Department of Energy. Sandia may negotiate directly with industry to sign cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) -- formal technology commercialization agreements that permit the laboratories to collaborate with industry on mutually beneficial research. A CRADA provides protection for a company's confidential information and permits a wide latitude in the assignment of intellectual property. CRADA partners range from some of the nation's largest companies to small businesses with only a few employees. Many CRADAs involve alliances that are focused on helping entire industries become more competitive in the global marketplace. Examples include work with SEMATECH on semiconductor equipment and contamination-free manufacturing, the Specialty Metals Processing Consortium, and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A joint research effort between Goodyear, the last major U.S. tire manufacturer, and Sandia has applied finite-element computer analysis to improve the longevity, performance, and safety of tires.

CRADAs are not the only vehicles for technology transfer. Sandia has increased its activities in licensing Sandia-developed technologies and products. Through its Small Business Technology Transfer Program, Sandia has provided technical assistance to dozens of small businesses. Sandia also has facilities that are available to industry, universities, and other government agencies for cooperative research and development.

Following is a short overview of cooperative agreements available through Sandia.

• CRADAs are collaborative research and development agreements between Sandia and industrial partners, and sometimes the Department of Energy, that benefit the core business of each participant.
• Licenses permit Sandia to transfer intellectual property to industry for commercialization.
• Work for nonfederal entities makes Sandia's unique resources available to state or local government as well as private industry on a reimbursable basis, as long as the work does not compete with capabilities available in the private sector.
• User facilities give industry access to unique facilities at Sandia.
• Funds-in technical assistance provides solutions to short-term technical problems for large businesses, if doing so does not compete with services available through private industry.
• Technical assistance for small business provides up to $5,000 worth of assistance solving short-term technical problems.
• Technical personnel exchanges allow sharing of employees for up to one year.
• Memoranda of understanding provide general guidance for pursuing shared interests that also benefit the Department of Energy.