Vendors responded eagerly because demand had already been established and core technologies found. Gary Horsham of NASA Glenn took a less direct approach. Market research methods were used to identify needs of target markets, and company supplied information then enabled a matchmaking process. By whatever mechanism, demand-driven technology transfer is a key to the future. Neither source nor adopter are likely to initiate a fully demand-driven approach.
Alliances form across channels.
Carr et al presented a University-Industry Collaborative Center. Elliot Levine of the DOE offered a framework for government-industry partnerships. Riccardo Carelli presented a European network supporting small company innovations. Saba et al founded the Fire Fighting Task Force and the Next Generation Sensors Initiative across industry, government, academia, and end users. Three authors discussed the potential for web sites to serve as intermediaries.