Cuyamaca College
Environmental Technology Program
Technology Access for Product Innovation (TAP-IN)
Technology Access for Product Innovation (TAP-IN) is a program that offers a variety of support services to small, defense-related manufacturers and other small manufacturers that could benefit from defense-related technology. The TAP-IN program is a joint effort funded by the Federal government's Technology Reinvestment Project and a consortium of public and private sources. Participants include the six NASA Regional Technology Transfer Centers (RTTCs), the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), Industrial designers Society of America, KPMG Peat Marwick, Ernst & Young and a network of State programs.
TAP-IN is designed to help businesses transfer their technology and expertise into non-defense markets. The program also identifies small manufacturers (less than 500 employees) who could benefit from defense-related technology or manufacturing processes.
Participating companies can obtain assistance in areas such as R&D of a concept through prototype design, capital sourcing, and market strategy. Many of these services are provided at no cost; others carry reasonable fees so services are accessible to small companies.
TAP-IN programs help companies:
- Identify new markets for existing products
- Identify markets for new products that have been developed using current capabilities
- Evaluate technologies that will improve products
- Evaluate customer needs
- Find Federal lab technologies that can be spun off into commercial projects
- Acquire Federal lab technologies
- Acquire capital
Federal R&D contractors are allocated more than half of the Federal R&D budget; some of these R&D projects yield technologies with commercial applications. Many TAP-IN participants are defense contractors or have defense contractors as clients.
Private sector companies and institutions are another source of technology. For example, Battelle Memorial Institute, the largest not-for-profit industrial R&D organization in the world, is a source of TAP-IN technologies.
Many TAP-IN services are provided at no cost; others carry reasonable fees structured to make services easily accessible to small manufacturing companies.
Categories of TAP-IN Programs
(1) Product Planning and Development
TAP-IN partners work with defense suppliers to:
- Identify market opportunities
- Evaluate a new product's potential to succeed in the commercial marketplace
- Conduct feasibility studies to predict how well a company can expect to produce/market a new product
- Assist in the design of new products
- Find and acquire technologies from private or Federal sources
- Develop dual-use technologies
- Assess alternative applications for existing technologies
For example, Regional Technology Transfer Centers (RTTCs) are working with industrial designers to help clients identify profitable new products that can be developed using existing technologies and manufacturing capabilities.
In the Midwest, an RTTC is working with a defense contractor to answer some questions needed to complete a DOD project. The RTTC brought the company together with EPA and Argonne researchers. Results: EPA provided answers to technological questions; Argonne National Laboratories identified new project opportunities for the company.
(2) Technology Problem-Solving
TAP-IN partners work with manufacturers to:
- Clearly define a manufacturer's technology needs
- Match needs with technologies or capabilities in the public and private sector
- Find local technology sources
- Establish partnerships with Federal laboratory scientists and engineers
- Establish partnerships with commercial organizations
For example, through the FLC and the National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC), TAP-IN is helping companies access effective Federal technologies.
Aero Instruments is a manufacturer of pressure probes used to measure air speed and altitude on military and general aviation aircraft. They need to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of new, more accurate probes due to changes in the FAA rules. The NASA Lewis Research Center had computational fluid dynamics code that could help Aero Instruments meet the new regulations and therefore compete in the commercial sector. Results: NASA Lewis scientists currently are providing Aero Instruments with a Pentium-PC version of the code and is training Aero staff to use the code in future analysis and design efforts.
(3) Market Studies
TAP-IN market studies produce the following products:
- Market needs assessment
- Market surveys
- Market analyses
- Market forecasts
TAP-IN links firms to business service organization that have the experience and expertise needed to identify and analyze market opportunities.
For example, Airborne Industries, a small woman-owned defense supplier, needed to identify new markets and marketing channels to stay in business. By using the TAP-IN network, Airborne has successfully diversified.
(4) Technology Commercialization
TAP-IN partners work with companies to commercialize technologies by:
- Developing business plans
- Helping companies acquire newly developed technologies through:
- Licensing
- Cooperative R&D agreements
- Informal collaboration
- Formal consultation
- Contract research
- Finding venture capital
- Providing networking opportunities for joint ventures
For example, a defense contractor was interested in developing new commercial product ideas for the medical or telemedicine market. Today the company is negotiating a NASA Space Act Agreement to develop telemedicine applications.
Types of Organizations Served by TAP-In Programs
TAP-IN primarily serves:
- Small defense suppliers
... fewer than 500 employees
... selling directly to DOD, DOE or NASA
... subcontractors to major defense prime contractors
In need of market diversification services- Manufacturing/product development companies
... any size
... work on defense or non-defense
... eligible/able to commercialize defense technologiesTo access TAP-IN services, contact a RTTC at 1-800-472-6785 and ask for the TAP-IN representative.
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 Last update 05/12/98 by Cuyamaca Web Team |