Assessing the Industrial-Commercial Impacts of Federal R & D Laboratories

本研究将评估美国联邦实验室的科学和技术产出对美国工业的商业影响。评估将从行业角度出发。根据美国政府问责局最近对297个联邦实验室进行的一项综合研究的数据，将确定联邦实验室的数量。将从这些人群中抽取大约40个联邦实验室的分层概率样本。实验室的研究和技术应用办公室ıORTA！（或同等）将提供有关工业使用的实验室技术活动和产出的信息。工业使用的实验室的技术活动和产出。所审查的技术活动不仅包括联邦实验室研究、开发和示范活动的直接产品，还包括知识和专有技术的间接传播。将根据ORTA的记录编制工业用户样本。这项研究将收集工业用户的定性和调查数据，如用户如何了解联邦实验室的产品，使用产品的障碍，产品的商业价值，以及用户进行的额外技术开发的水平和类型。该研究还将调查一组“非用户”。工业用户将被要求找出与他们自己相似的公司（在规模、产品线、市场份额上）。然后，调查人员将联系这些类似的公司，确定联邦实验室产品的“非用户”，对这些产品的潜在兴趣，以及对使用联邦实验室产出的要求的看法。该设计将(a)解释实验室-工业相互作用的模式，以及(b)评估联邦实验室的商业影响。

This study will assess the commercial impact on U.S. industry of U.S. federal laboratories' scientific and technical outputs. The assessment will be from the perspective of industry. Using data from a recent comprehensive study of 297 federal laboratories performed by the U.S. GAO, a population of federal laboratories will be defined. From that population a stratified probability sample about 40 federal laboratories will be drawn. The laboratories' Office of Research and Technical Applications ıORTA! (or the equivalent) will provide information about technical activities of the laboratories and outputs used by industry. The technical activities of the laboratories and outputs used by industry. The technical activities examined include not only the direct products of federal laboratory research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities, but also the indirect transmission of knowledge and know-how. From ORTA records, a sample of industrial users will be developed. The study will gather qualitative and survey data from industrial users on such questions as how the users became aware of federal laboratories' products, barriers to use of the products, commercial value of the products, and level and types additional technical development performed by the user. The study will also examine a set of "non-users." The industrial users will be asked to identify firms similar (in size, product lines, market share) to their own. The investigators will then contact those similar firms, identify "non-users" of federal laboratory products, potential interest in those products, and perceptions about requirements for using federal laboratory outputs. This design will (a) explain patterns of laboratory- industry interactions, and (b) assess the commercial impacts of the federal laboratories.