Research direction
Mr. Neil Kane, president and co-founder of Advanced Diamond Technologies (ADT) will testify with other witnesses before the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, Committee on Science and Technology, "From the Lab Bench to the Marketplace: Improving Technology Transfer," offering strategies for translating great science into great products.
As the former Executive Director of the Illinois Technology Enterprise Center at Argonne National Laboratory and Entrepreneur in Residence with Illinois Ventures, Mr. Kane was part of the start-up team for four university technology transfer spinoffs, three of which have raised tens of millions of dollars of venture capital and collectively employ over 100 people. He has closed several rounds of venture capital from various sources and has secured numerous SBIR and government contracts and awards.
Mr. Kane's testimony represents the perspective of a start-up company founder who has launched several businesses based on research performed at federal laboratories or at universities with federally funded grants. He will present principles and best practices critical for making a technology transfer start-up a success.
"I've learned that the real challenge is not transferring the technology out of the laboratory—it's transferring the technology into the marketplace. If we do everything right except get products to market, we've accomplished nothing."
The hearing will address three issues: (1) how knowledge and technology are transferred from academic and research institutions to the private sector, (2) best practices to facilitate the commercialization of government funded research to benefit society, and (3) ensuring the economic competitiveness of the United States.