Partnerships to Harness the Innovations and R&D Capacity of ARS for Technology-Based Economic Development

1. Partnerships to Harness the Innovations and R&D Capacity of ARS for Technology-Based Economic Development Richard J. Brenner Assistant Administrator Office of Technology Transfer Don Nordlund Technology Transfer Coordinator Athens, GA GROTTO Workshop Orlando, FL February 22, 2010

2. ARS Mission To conduct research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to: • ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural products • assess the nutritional needs of Americans • sustain a competitive agricultural economy • enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and • provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole.

3. The Research Capacity of ARS($1.1 B intramural) Line Management of ARS • Area Directors of 8 Area Offices; oversee execution & quality of research • 2100 scientists & engineers • 100+ locations • > 1000 research projects

4. The Research Capacity of ARS Program Management of ARS • Office of National Programs coordinates program direction and allocates resources to research units across the agency • 4 broad “pillars” of research • 22 national programs • > 1000 research projects

5. Four regional research centers, provide the major portion of ARS's capability for research and development of technology to increase the use of agricultural products and thereby enhance the economic viability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture. SRRC – New Orleans, LA NCAUR (NRRC) – Peoria, IL ERRC – Wyndmoor, PA WRRC – Albany, CA

6. Technology Transfer: the adoption of research outcomes for public benefit

7. How Does Industry Partner with USDA for Commercialization / R&D? • Licensing current protected technologies (including plants) to private sector firms for commercial production. • Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)establish research partnerships to solve industry problems consistent with ARS mission and priorities. Through the Office of Technology Transfer… http://www.ars.usda.gov/Business/Business.htm

8. Patenting Marketing Licensing Tech Transfer Coordinators • 9 registered patent agents (1 Ph.D, 4 w/ law degrees) • Located in Beltsville, MD; Peoria, IL; Albany, CA • Targeted marketing (staff of 3) • Web subscribe Tech Alerts • Partnering opportunities • 5 senior licensing specialists (3 J.Ds; 2 MBA) • HQ based • 8 specialists with life science / ag background (4 Ph.D, 2 J.D.) • Distributed across geographic Areas of ARS Office of Technology Transfer Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing; decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs

9. Vic Chavez 215-233-6610 Vic.Chavez@ars.usda.gov VACANT -- BA 301-504-6421 Renee Wagner – MWA 309-681-6565 Renee.Wagner@ars.usda.gov Don Nordlund – SAA/ MSA 706-546-3496 Don.Nordlund@ars.usda.gov Joe Lipovsky – SRRC Assoc. TTC 504-286-4355 Joe.Lipovsky@ars.usda.gov David Nicholson – PWA 510-559-5641 David.Nicholson @ars.usda.gov (Chris Johnson, Assoc. TTC) Bryan Kaphammer – NPA / SPA 970-229-5528 Bryan.Kaphammer@.ars.usda.gov Thomas Valco Cotton Tech Tran & Education Coordinator 662-686-5255 CTTEC@ars.usda.gov Office of Technology Transfer Technology Transfer Coordinators

10. Seek Private Sector Interest For Commercialization • Marketing Section • Creates summary • Places on OTT website Licensing Section Models for Developing and Transferring Federal Technologies to the Private Sector Background Invention (e.g., developed in USDA) Federal Register Notice Corporate response

11. Manufacture & Market ARS Scientist Technology Transfer Coordinator Corporation negotiates license (no FR notice) Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) Patent Subject Invention (developed under CRADA) The Federal CRADA Model for Developing and Transferring Technologies to the Private Sector Corporate Research Need

12. Benefits to Firms: Access to ARS research capacity First right to negotiate Exclusive License for Subject Inventions without FR notice Confidentiality (competitive advantage) Opportunity to compete in global markets Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) • Benefits to ARS: • Results-Oriented Research/Impact • Market information • Identification of Licensee • Resources (For the Project)

13. Some FY 2009 Metrics • Licenses • Current active: 301 (316 were active during FY; 129 producing commercial products) • Universities – 118 (39%) • Non-profits – 17 (6%) • Small Businesses – 105 (35%) • Foreign businesses (no U.S. presence) – 7 (2%) • Large businesses (includes foreign multinationals with major U.S. presence) –54 (18%) • CRADAs(2008 metrics) • Active 232 (during FY 2008) • Small businesses – 127 (62%) • Outside state of researcher – 155 (72%) • Out of ARS Area of researcher – 129 (60%)

14. CRADA Human Capital Intellectual Assets T2 Intellectual Property Model of a Public/Private Partnership for Commercialization of Research Outcomes Complementary Assets Intellectual Capital Marketing and Distribution Capabilities Technical Expertise— Product Dev, Scale-up, QC Manufacturing Capacity Product Registration Expertise Fiscal Resources These can be facilitated by Partnership Intermediaries of ARS (TBED entities) & selective use of Enhanced Use Lease linked to mission priorities Structural Assets and Financial Resources Adapted from Sullivan, P.H., Profiting From Intellectual Capital, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000.

15. ARS Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership Program (ATIP)

16. Goals of Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership Program (through PIAs) To partner with selected economic development entities to enhance the effectiveness of the ARS technology transfer program and to expand its impact To enhance the flow of ARS technologies to small and expanding businesses and to encourage technology-based economic development

17. Goals of ARS Partnership Intermediaries Provide complementary assets to ARS Office of Technology Transfer • Guide local / regional business with research needs to the appropriate ARS scientist across ARS (CRADA opportunities) • Triage business plans of private sector to seek “winners” as candidates for licensing / research partnerships with ARS • Acquire marketing assessments on ARS technologies from 3rd party sources (business schools, entrepreneur programs, angel investors, etc.) for targeted marketing • Coordinate “Technology Showcase” events to facilitate partnerships with private sector companies (TEDCO, October 30, 2008 – Four Points Sheraton at BWI)

18. Goals of ARS Partnership Intermediaries Provide complementary assets needed by private sector to succeed in commercializing federal inventions • Assist in accessing public / private funds • SBIR proposals • Angel investors / state funds • Manufacturing capacity • Manage their own seed/venture funds or networks to support CRADA and license partners of ARS • Assist in problem solving manufacturing capacity • Network with other ATIP members and other federal PIA networks.

19. An Early ATIP (TEDCO) Successful Commercialization … Rice-based frying batter, called ChoiceBatter, absorbs 50% less oil (Fred Shih, ARS, New Orleans, LA; CrispTek, LLC) (License 4/.’08; TEDCO support 10/’08; 1st sale 5/’09) (New CRADA)

20. Building the ATIP Program Envisioned as providing an efficient network to ARS with each Partners serving as a conduit to a greater number of local, regional (e.g., county), or state entities, including venture capitalists and angel investors. Because of the need for regional access to private sector companies and resources for sustained economic development, ATIP is likely to have optimal effectiveness with 8 economic development Partners, strategically distributed across the country.

21. The ARS ATIP Network: • Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO; 2007) • Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA; 2008) • Wisconsin Security Research Consortium (Wisconsin Technology Council; Sept. 15, 2009) • National Association of Seed & Venture Funds (NASVF; Oct. 16, 2009) • Ben Franklin Technology Partners (PA; pending) • Georgia Research Alliance (GRA; pending) • Cal. Assoc. for Local Econ. Dev. (CALED; pending)

22. ATIP Network ? ?

23. DoD PIA Network Members

24. A USDA / DoD Partnership… ARS ATIP and DoD’s OTTPIN (Partnership Intermediary Network) reached agreement to formalize interactions to createanew model to facilitate public/private partnerships for sustainable economic development and to meet common interests of DoD, USDA . Examples may include: • Local food / local consumption • Urban agriculture in cities and DoD installations • Distributed bioenergy production from biomass

25. Emerging Partnerships In Support of Administration & Secretary Vilsack Priorities… Local production of foods in rural to urban environments • Feeding the eastern seaboard • Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority • Toledo local food production (Center for Innovative Food Technology) • Harnessing USDA Rural Development programs to support local / regional food systems

26. The Research Capacity of ARS ARS will establish five regional Bioenergy Feedstock Centers • Anchored at 5 current ARS locations (“hubs”) • Involving dozens of ARS research scientists from across the agency (“spokes”) • Establishing public / private consortia, and cooperative research agreements USDA Forest Service to establish Agroforestry Center , and flexible feedstock Biorefinery Pilot Plant

27. The Research Capacity of ARS

28. The Research Capacity of ARS

29. The Research Capacity of ARS

30. Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry Operations USDA/ARS: Walter Schmidt Rolland Walter George Gassner Pelletized feather Feathers Fiber CRADA Partner: Chesapeake Microproducts

31. Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry Operations Pelletize feather Pots CRADA Partner: Horticultural Research Institute (joint patent)

32. Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry Operations Commercialization / Financial Strategies USDA-SBIR Cronus (John General) Plant Pot Project Chesapeake Microproducts Horticulture Research Institute ARS

33. Distributed Energy System from RCM/EnviRemed/ American Solar / ARS Generating electricity through composting + Army / Air Force stirling engines +

34. Distributed Energy System from RCM/EnviRemed/ American Solar / ARS CRADA • Feedstocks -- food waste, agricultural waste, biofuel crops (e.g., energy cane, switch grass, Napier grass) • Potential uses: • Military applications on bases & remote settings • Supplement energy needs of farms, rural communities, and schools (& compost for landscaping , fresh fruits and vegetables for the school cafeteria) • Operate greenhouses (i.e., heat, cool, light, ventilate, etc.) off the power grid • Operate aquaculture systems (i.e., heat, filtration, light, ventilate, etc.) off the power grid. Solar heat, food/agriculture waste products and biofuel crops could be used as feedstock for the units. This would allow raising fish in abandoned urban warehouses in northern climates.

35. Switchgrass & biofuels New foods & biobased products Component separation The future ….biobased products & biofuels

36. Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD (Joann Perkins) The Office of Technology Transfer …. … promoting the adoption of ARS research outcomes Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D. Assistant Administrator Don Nordlund Technology Transfer Coordinator, Athens, GA Office of Technology Transfer 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 (301) 504-6905 http://www.ars.usda.gov/Business/Business.htm