Sandia LabNews

Front door to Sandia: C3 partnership center to boost collaboration and tech transfer


Sandia will pursue a Center for Collaboration and Commercialization to strengthen partnerships, technology transfer, and ties to the community.

Image of <p><span face="Cambria"><span size="3">INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP — Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry, left, Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert, and Lisa Kuuttila, CEO of the University of New Mexico’s Science and Technology Center and chief economic development officer, spoke at a news conference announcing Sandia’s planned C3 partnerships and tech transfer center. Paul said C3 will support the city’s and UNM’s Innovation District and Innovate ABQ initiatives. Berry and Kuuttila welcomed Sandia’s participation in the innovate movement.</span><span size="3"> </span><span size="3">(Photo by Linda von Boetticher)</span></span></p>

INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP — Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry, left, Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert, and Lisa Kuuttila, CEO of the University of New Mexico’s Science and Technology Center and chief economic development officer, spoke at a news conference announcing Sandia’s planned C3 partnerships and tech transfer center. Paul said C3 will support the city’s and UNM’s Innovation District and Innovate ABQ initiatives. Berry and Kuuttila welcomed Sandia’s participation in the innovate movement. (Photo by Linda von Boetticher)

The center, known as C3, will support the city of Albuquerque’s and the University of New Mexico’s Innovation District and Innovate ABQ initiatives. C3 will offer programming and services to boost Sandia’s interaction with partners in industry, academia, and government, and will promote technology commercialization.

“We view C3 as part of the city’s Innovation District, as the eastern end of an innovation corridor that extends along Central Avenue from downtown east to Eubank Boulevard and the Sandia Science & Technology Park,” said Julia Phillips, Deputy Chief Technology Officer and director of Research Strategy and Partnerships Dept. 7900. “C3 will be the front door to Sandia, providing access to the Labs and strengthening ties to the community.”

The center was announced by Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert at an Oct. 3 news conference at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. Speakers included Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry and Lisa Kuuttila, CEO of UNM’s Science and Technology Center and chief economic development officer.

 “We are excited to have another great example of collaboration in our community and the region that will increase collective impact for economic prosperity,” Berry said. “C3 will provide even better access and interaction between Sandia’s technology and the business community, and a process for commercialization with resources to support it.”

The planned C3 facility in the Sandia Science & Technology Park will house Sandia employees and others working together on partnerships and tech transfer. Sandia will look to a strong partnership with the private sector to realize the C3 vision.

“We envision co-locating some of our people there who provide programming and services that support our partnerships strategy, which includes tech transfer,” said Jackie Kerby Moore, manager of Technology and Economic Development Dept. 7933. “We can imagine hosting cross-institutional functions and meetings as well as providing licensing support, small business assistance, and entrepreneurial exploration and training.”

C3 is one element of an intellectual property strategy to deploy the results of Sandia’s publicly funded research and development for the US public good.

“We welcome Sandia’s participation in Innovate ABQ, and we foresee even more collaboration between our institutions,” Kuuttila said.

C3 will offer easy access to Labs’ staff and more opportunities for collaboration and commercialization, Paul said. Sandia is working with internal and external partners on a user survey and feasibility study.

“Our goal is to join the city and UNM in strengthening the local economy. It’s all about stimulating innovation, cultivating entrepreneurs, and generating jobs,” Paul said. “Sandia is a leader in technology transfer and economic development through partnerships. Now we want to do more.”