{"693370":{"#nid":"693370","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Research to Impact: How Commercialization Helps Bring GTRI Research to Industry ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloping a technology that works is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the story. What happens next can determine how far an innovation travels beyond the lab and who ultimately benefits from it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute, or GTRI, is Georgia Tech\u2019s applied research organization and a University-Affiliated Research Center. Its researchers develop technologies that address specific government and industry needs, including the federal government\u2019s long-term national security priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome of those technologies may also have potential beyond the mission or research assignment for which they were originally developed. Through the Office of Commercialization, GTRI researchers can receive support protecting intellectual property, exploring additional applications, and identifying partners that can help move their work forward.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking With Technology Licensing to Explore What Comes Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the Office of Commercialization, the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) works with GTRI researchers to identify and protect intellectual property, evaluate potential applications, and explore pathways for moving technologies into broader use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor GTRI researchers, the opportunity may be the potential for a technology to serve another use beyond its original research assignment. A technology developed for one mission could help solve another problem, support a new industry application, or provide the foundation for a future product. Recognizing that potential early gives researchers and OTL more time to explore what else may be possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a true partnership where we bring the technology and mission context, and they bring the commercialization expertise and industry networks,\u201d said Kenneth W. Allen, chief technology officer at GTRI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers do not need to approach OTL with a company, market, or business plan. They also do not need to know whether licensing, a startup, or an industry partnership is the right path. Rather, the first conversation can help answer those questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur role is to help them understand what they have, protect the intellectual property, and explore how the technology could reach the people who can use it,\u201d said Mary Albertson, executive director of OTL.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe timing of that conversation matters. Publishing research, presenting it publicly, or sharing details outside an appropriate agreement can affect the options available for protecting intellectual property. Connecting with OTL early allows the team to evaluate the technology before those decisions are made.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubmitting an invention disclosure does not commit a researcher to launching a startup or following a particular path. It begins a conversation about what the researcher has created, who might benefit from it, and what steps could help move it forward.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExtending GTRI\u2019s Mission Through Commercialization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommercialization can extend GTRI\u2019s mission by helping the research reach people and organizations that can put it to use. Some technologies transition directly to government or industry partners, while others generate intellectual property that may be licensed or developed for additional applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cGTRI\u2019s mission is centered on creating impact. Our collaboration with the Office of Commercialization gives researchers another pathway for moving technologies from research into use while supporting the needs of our government and industry partners,\u201d said Mike Gazarik, senior vice president and director of GTRI. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI does not manufacture products or maintain its own commercial product line. Industry partnerships are therefore essential to sustained deployment. A company may provide the manufacturing capacity, market access, or infrastructure needed to develop, produce, or deploy a technology at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs we execute research and development and generate engineering products and intellectual property, we work closely with our government sponsors to identify transition opportunities into industry,\u201d Allen said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen licensing is the right path, OTL can help protect intellectual property, structure an agreement, and support the transition to an industry partner. Sometimes that partner is already involved in the research. Other times, OTL introduces the technology to companies that may see potential beyond its original purpose.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI and the Office of Commercialization are working to strengthen that connection by identifying intellectual property earlier and making more technologies visible to industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed an impressive portfolio of technologies that can accelerate industry innovation,\u201d Allen said. \u201cWe need to make sure that portfolio is visible and accessible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor GTRI researchers, the first step is asking whether a technology could solve another problem or help someone beyond its original mission. That question could be the beginning of its path from research to real-world impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/licensing.research.gatech.edu\/submit-invention-disclosure\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more or submit an invention disclosure\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Office of Commercialization works with GTRI researchers to protect intellectual property, explore new applications and identify partners that can move technologies into broader use.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Collaboration between GTRI and the Office of Commercialization helps move promising research beyond the lab and into use."}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-10-21 19:28:54","changed_gmt":"2026-10-21 19:31:40","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681506":{"id":"681506","type":"image","title":"Nasa.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECreationsVC\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1792611025","gmt_created":"2026-10-21 19:30:25","changed":"1792611025","gmt_changed":"2026-10-21 19:30:25","alt":"Photo courtesy of NASA","file":{"fid":"265916","name":"Nasa.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/Nasa.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/21\/Nasa.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":180174,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/21\/Nasa.jpg?itok=WUB-OrdR"}}},"media_ids":["681506"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELacey Cameron\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Elcameron30@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}