Over the past two years, RTI's assistance to NASA resulted in the negotiation of 27 licenses to companies and 18 new product introductions based on NASA technologies. These factors affect the risk management decisions faced by a company considering the technology. Early stage technologies carry much higher risk simply because their performance potential has not yet been proven. To be attractive at an early stage of development, the technology must promise to seriously outperform incumbent technologies, or to create entirely new business opportunities. Technologies which enable a company to add remarkable value for their customers at a price the customer can afford will likewise hold the most promise.
Patent protection is important if a strong patent can be obtained and enforced.
Lastly, the availability of strong champions on both sides of the deal can make or break the outcome. Complex technologies require technically sound transference of know-how to enable the process of developing a product. Just as importantly, the enthusiastic participation of the commercial partner adopting the technology is often needed to assure the process stays on track through the frequently bumpy road of licensing and product development. To maximize the impact of NASA's technologies, RTI works with national industry associations to identify NASA solutions for technology needs recognized as important across that industry, not just one company. Typically 3-6 pages, a Problem Statement concisely presents enough information for an engineer or scientist at a NASA Center to determine whether they have a possible solution.