The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) is the dynamic intermediary between industry and government, facilitates the commercialization of innovative technologies from lab to market, and awards non-dilutive seed funding to U.S. small businesses in support of a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Nation.
-- Kortney Opshaug, Blue Ocean Gear & Richard Riels, Crab Raft
The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) is serving the U.S. economy by investing in impactful solutions, transferring innovative technology to the marketplace, and facilitating strategic partnerships to enhance and deliver on NOAA’s mission.
TPO routinely works in developing partnerships with private entities in marketing commercial technologies to improve NOAA’s data collection efficiency. This supports weather and environmental data collection that private companies could use to deliver novel weather predictions and climate information.
We fund innovative small business proposals for the development of technology, products, and services related to NOAA’s mission with excellent commercial potential.
We ensure rapid and impactful transfer of inventions and innovative technology developed by NOAA researchers to the commercial marketplace.
Public-private partnerships are vital for bringing private sector innovation and agility into the public realm and NOAA’s research and development enterprise.
Rooted in Federal Law, our Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (T2) programs capitalize on successful commercialization of innovative technologies in support of a strong and resilient U.S. economy.
References:
Federal Tech Transfer Act of 1986
Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982
NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Fishtechy, Inc.—a small business that helps anglers accurately measure the size of their catch—to develop the Fishtechy app for commercial and recreational anglers.
Did you know that U.S. companies can license and commercialize NOAA technologies, bringing cutting-edge solutions to the marketplace? Some technologies currently available can help to combat a particularly noxious scourge – Harmful Algal Blooms.
NOAA Office of Marine Sanctuaries and Aqua Satellite Inc. have signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to develop and use uncrewed systems to explore NOAA marine sanctuaries to optimize collection of ocean data.
NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory and Telops USA sign Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to improve measurements of the lower atmosphere.
A public-private partnership is using AI and cutting-edge technology to monitor the ocean for the critically endangered North American Right Whale.