Research and Development, a First Consideration in Commercialization

This paper summarizes the commercialization approach being used by Orbital Technologies Corporation and Planet Products Corporation. The approach begins with an overall strategy and is integral through several business, technology, and development decisions. Several stages exist in the development process, which begins with key go/no-go criteria and continues with more detailed assessment and analysis of technologies, markets, finance, and business/product models. The SBIR program and other seed funding opportunities are integral to individual product commercialization plans. ORBITEC has a very diverse technology heritage including environmental controls systems, combustion and materials, sensors/instrumentation, and advanced software systems. The commercialization approach is used to spin-off internally developed technologies as well as technologies from outside ORBITEC. We have placed and maintained one product on the market; several other products are currently in different stages of commercialization. Commercialization investment is needed to continue the transition of valuable technologies originally developed to solve a NASA, DOD or other Federal Government need, and to support diversification of the company revenue base.