§2514. Encouragement of technology transfer

(a) Encouragement of Transfer Required.-The Secretary of Defense shall encourage, to the extent consistent with national security objectives, the transfer of technology between laboratories and research centers of the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies, State and local governments, colleges and universities, and private persons in cases that are likely to result in accomplishing the objectives set forth in section 2501(a) of this title.

(b) Examination and Implementation of Methods To Encourage Transfer.-The Secretary shall examine and implement methods, in addition to the encouragement referred to in subsection (a) and the program described in subsection (c), that are consistent with national security objectives and will enable Department of Defense personnel to promote technology transfer.

(c) Program To Encourage Diversification of Defense Laboratories.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement a program to be known as the Federal Defense Laboratory Diversification Program (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the "Program"). The purpose of the Program shall be to encourage greater cooperation in research and production activities carried out by defense laboratories and by private industry of the United States in order to enhance and improve the products of such research and production activities.

(2) Under the Program, the defense laboratories, in coordination with the Office of Technology Transfer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out cooperative activities with private industry in order to promote (by the use or exchange of patents, licenses, cooperative research and development agreements and other cooperative agreements, and the use of symposia, meetings, and other similar mechanisms) the transfer of defense or dual-use technologies from the defense laboratories to private industry, and the development and application of such technologies by the defense laboratories and private industry, for the purpose of the commercial utilization of such technologies by private industry.

(3) The Secretary of Defense shall develop and annually update a plan for each defense laboratory that participates in the Program under which plan the laboratory shall carry out cooperative activities with private industry to promote the transfers described in subsection (b).

(4) In this subsection, the term "defense laboratory" means any laboratory owned or operated by the Department of Defense that carries out research in fiscal year 1993 in an amount in excess of $50,000,000.

(Added Pub. L. 102–484, div. D, title XLII, §4224(a), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2682 ; amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title VIII, §829(f), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2614 .)

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2514, added Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title VIII, §823(a)(3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1601 , directed Secretary of Defense to enhance research relating to manufacturing technology, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–484, §4202(a).

Provisions similar to those in subsecs. (a) and (b) of this section were contained in section 2363 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–484, §§4224(c), 4271(a)(2).

Amendments

1996-Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 104–201 struck out par. (5) which read as follows: "The Secretary shall coordinate the Program with the National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council."

National Action Plan on Advanced Superconductivity Research and Development

Superconductivity research and development activities by Secretary of Defense and by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, see section 5207 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Technology Transfer to Private Sector

Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title II, §218(c), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1053 , as amended by Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title IX, §904(f), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1729 ; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title IX, §911(a)(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 717 , provided that:

"(1) The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, shall take appropriate action to ensure that high-temperature superconductivity technology resulting from the research activities of the Department of Defense is transferred to the private sector. Such transfer shall be made in accordance with section 10(e) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710(e)), other applicable provisions of law, and Executive Order Number 12591, dated April 10, 1987 [set out as a note under 15 U.S.C. 3710].

"(2) The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, shall ensure that the national laboratories of the Department of Energy participate, to the maximum appropriate extent, in the transfer to the private sector of technology developed under the Department of Defense superconductivity program in the national laboratories."