Challenges and Opportunities for Innovation in the Public Works ...

Technology Transfer--The Private Sector Approach
Technology transfer is the term used by Government research organizations to describe
what the private sector calls marketing. The ultimate goals are very similar. Just as the
private sector attempts to convince housewives to purchase laundry detergents and other
household goods, the research community is attempting to convince engineering professionals
to use infrastructure related technologies. The only real differences are the sophistication and
cost of the product and the educational background and motives of the two consumers.
The private sector recognizes several elements which make up the marketing of
products. These elements together make up the marketing mix of product, price, place, and
promotion. The transfer of technologies consists of several related elements to include
product, production and packaging, distribution, promotion, and training and support.
The product has to meet some need of the consumer. An infrastructure product can be
a hardware item, a document describing the implementation of some innovative procedure,
software program and user manual, or just a different way of doing business.
The product has to be produced and packaged for procurement by the user. This
includes documentation or instructions to assist the user in applying the technology. The
production of a technology also implies the assignment of a price for purchasing the
technology. The price has to be perceived as being outweighed by the total benefits of using
the product. The packaged product has to be delivered to the user through some means.
The Army is in the process of developing a format for technology transfer plans which is
based on the commercial marketing approach. A draft of this format is provided as enclosure
1.
The Army has developed and implemented an aggressive marketing communications
program under the Facilities Engineering Applications Program (FEAP) to provide the
engineering personnel at Army installations with information on innovative technologies. The
communications strategy was designed to overcome some of the obstacles to technology
transfer identified through research. The program is implemented by Public Affairs (PA)
personnel at each of the Corps laboratories and the Army Engineering and Housing Support
Center.
The FEAP Information Center was established at USACERL. Working with PA
personnel at the Corps labs, the center publishes a quarterly technology transfer bulletin,
develops technology product fliers, distributes fact sheets, maintains technology transfer
exhibits, and manages a mail-in request service for loaner videotapes and information.
Samples of the newsletter, ad fliers, and the mail-in order form are enclosed.
Summary
Critical to the success of any technology transfer effort is the input of the customers -the
actual users of the technology. Customers need to be involved in the entire research and
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