What is technology transfer?

Answer 1

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=define%3A+technology+transfer&btnG=Search

Answer 2

Technology transfer is the process of developing practical applications for the results of scientific research. While conceptually the activity has been practised for many years (in ancient times, Archimedes was notable for applying science to practical problems), the present-day volume of research, combined with high-profile failures at Xerox PARC and elsewhere, has led to a focus on the process itself.

Many companies, universities, and governmental organizations now have an "Office of Technology Transfer" dedicated to identifying research results of potential commercial interest, and to developing strategies for how to exploit it. For instance, a research result may be of interest, but patents are normally only issued for practical processes, and so someone, not necessarily the researchers, must come up with a specific practical process that depends on the result. Another consideration is commercial value; for instance, while there are many ways to accomplish nuclear fusion in practice, the ones of commercial interest are those that put out more energy than they take in.

As a result, technology transfer organizations are often multidisciplinary, including scientists, engineers, economists, and marketers.

The United States Department of Defense assesses technology maturity using a Technology Readiness Level as part of its technology transfer process.

The dynamics of the technology transfer process has attracted some attention in its own right, and there are several dedicated societies and journals.

Answer 3

Basically it is what it said. It's the transfer of technology. If someone has already done R&D on, say a chemical synthesis process and just want to have the compound produced by a prodcution company, they transfer the technology and the company will produce it for them.

Answer 4

my understanding of technology transfer is that it refers to someone doing R and D say in this country, then the technology gets picked up say by someone in another country through royalties or whatever and then makes products and sells them back to us, often at less cost than if we produced the product ourselves. On the one hand some residual income returns to this country, on the other hand the technology escapes from this country, and we pay others to sell us the product.

Answer 5

Technology transfer is where our government spends billions of tax $$ developing something new, and then gives it away to our competitors and enemies.