Framework for Developing Marketing Plans for Military to Civilian Technology Transfer

The Government of the United States, in particular the Department of Defense, invests a significant amount of funding into the development of technology. This technology, as a critical component of its weaponry, allows the United States to maintain a world-wide qualitative superiority over potential adversaries who may have a quantitative advantage. As industry and government continue to downsize, the transfer of technology from the federal government to the private sector becomes important to ensure the industrial base can continue supporting the military. In addition, transferring technology allows the industrial base to gain international competitive advantages and increase the breadth of the industrial base supporting the Department of Defense. To ensure technology transfer is successful, the military must aggressively market its research and development capabilities and its applicability to the commercial sector. This research marries the efforts of technology transfer programs with the principles of strategic market planning. This paper outlines the motivational aspects of integrating technology transfer and marketing. In addition, considering the importance of objectives in market planning, this research postulates technology transfer objectives. The final product of the research effort is the development of a technology transfer market planning worksheet for use by organizations which desire to develop a market plan that meets their organizational goals.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH is the author of 'Framework for Developing Marketing Plans for Military to Civilian Technology Transfer', published 1996 under ISBN 9781423578062 and ISBN 1423578066.