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CommTech: The Commercial Technology Consultants
Program
The Commercial Technology Consultants Program (CommTech), a nationwide Lewis initiative
launched in March 1995, provides nonaerospace companies and NASA Lewis Research Center
scientists and engineers with a process for forming technical support relationships involving the
commercialization of products or processes. The industries targeted in this effort span the
environmental, surface transportation (land and sea), and biomedical sectors.
The first CommTech cycle consisted of the following four phases which will extend from fiscal
1995 to fiscal 1997:
- Phase I--articipants Response and Selection
- Phase II--Company Relationship Exploration
- Phase III--Relationship Definition and Agreement
- Phase IV--Agreement Implementation and Execution
In Phase I, 142 company-provided descriptions of long-term product- or process-related
technology needs were selected, filtered, compiled, and distributed to 1500 Lewis scientists and
engineers. Subsequently, 15 Lewis scientists and engineers applied as individuals and 10 teams
applied--bringing the total number of lead and nonlead Lewis scientific and engineering
participants to 50. At the end of Phase I, the lead participants selected a total of 73 companies
from 21 states for Phase II efforts. Over 80 percent of the selected companies were small- or
medium-sized, for-profit businesses.
During Phase II, Lewis' lead participants initiated one-on-one technical-level interactions with
the selected companies. A shared budget of $230,000 was made available to the lead participants
to fund limited technology capability demonstrations for selected companies that were unfamiliar
with Lewis' capabilities. The companies could then fund further interactions, as desired. As
CommTech participants make the transition from Phase II to Phase III, Lewis' lead participants
will narrow their focus and each will select one or more companies to support. As of October
1995, 19 lead participants had identified companies interested in further interaction.
Lewis contact: Gary A.P. Horsham, (216) 433-8316
Headquarters program office: OSAT
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Last updated April 16, 1996
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