PENNTAP Is New Pennsylvania NASA Representative

August 31, 2001

University Park, Pa.-- Penn State’s Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) in partnership with Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology PArtners is Pennsylvania’s new NASA field representative and will provide free technology transfer and commercialization assistance to the Commonwealth’s businesses to help them access technologies from NASA’s network of research centers.

PENNTAP will employ two representatives, one each in eastern and western Pennsylvania, to help companies and entrepreneurs locate, access, acquire, utilize and commercialize technologies from NASA labs.

Companies can work with PENNTAP to access NASA-developed technology, to integrate a technology into a product line, or to further develop a technology to meet the requirements of new products. Businesses can license a NASA technology or work with NASA to develop a viable commercial product based on NASA technology. NASA technologies include such areas as materials, sensors, instruments and devices and information sciences among others.

The initiative is supported by the Technology Commercialization Center, Inc. (TeCC) located in Newport News, Va. TeCC is the contractor operating the NASA Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology Transfer Center, covering Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Established in 1965, PENNTAP helps Pennsylvania businesses improve their competitiveness by providing free technical assistance and information to help resolve specific technical questions or needs that can be addressed within a limited amount of time.

The Ben Franklin Technology PArtners invests financial resources and links public, private and educational resources to help small and medium sized businesses develop and commercialize new or improved products and processes with the potential for significant job growth in the Commonwealth.

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Contacts:

Barbara Hale (814) 865-9481 bah@psu.edu

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 vfong@psu.edu

Editors: Jack Gido, PENNTAP director, is at (814) 865-0427 or jgido@psu.edu by email.