Strengthening Lab-to-Market Translation Pathways within Place Based Ecosystems with National Security Implications

Logistics Management Institute, Mc Lean VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Science to Venture (S2V) project seeks to build a national platform for the acceleration of the translation of emerging technologies for national security applications. This platform will advance the commercialization of promising innovations and develop associated talent pipelines. The multi-year initiative will be embedded within two National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps® Hubs and will be structured around four mutually reinforcing pillars — (i) commercialization assistance, (ii) local capability building, (iii) talent network development, and (iv) capital catalyzation. These pillars provide end-to-end support: rigorous portfolio analysis and tailored roadmaps for high-potential university technologies; train-the trainer curricula and toolkits that institutionalize proven commercialization methods; pipelines linking regional entrepreneurs, mentors, and subject-matter experts to research teams; and a blended-capital strategy that crowds in philanthropic, public, and private investment to de-risk early translation stages. Over the course of the program, ~12–20 research projects relevant to national security will be shepherded through milestone-based development plans, yielding replicable frameworks and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled assets that can be extended across the Lab-to-Market ecosystem. By integrating mission-focused research, inclusive talent cultivation, and sustainable capital, the ability of local ecosystems to convert critical and emerging technologies into high growth ventures, strengthen regional economies, and advance U.S. competitiveness and national security will be accelerated. The project’s broader impacts include: (i) establishing a common, data-driven baseline for identifying and progressing promising science across place-based innovation programs; (ii) creating durable local talent and capital infrastructures that broaden participation in deep-tech entrepreneurship; and (iii) delivering a transferable blueprint—codified methodologies, trained practitioners, and localized investment vehicles—that maximizes public return on science and technology investments nationwide. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.