Big Ideas Lab Tech Transfer
Mar 18, 2025
Matthew Garrett, the Director of the Innovation and Partnerships Office at Lawrence Livermore, and James DeMuth, co-founder and CEO of Seurat Technologies, delve into the fascinating journey of lab technologies to the industrial sphere. They discuss the transformation of high-peak-power laser peening and the impact of 3D metal printing. Garrett highlights the importance of teaching scientists entrepreneurial skills while DeMuth shares insights into revolutionizing metal printing. Together, they explore exciting future advancements in fusion, AI, and biotech.
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Flight 232 Spurred Laser Peening
- A microscopic crack in a titanium fan disc on United Flight 232 led to catastrophic hydraulic failure and loss of 112 lives.
- LLNL partnered with industry to develop high-peak-power laser peening that reinforced jet engine components and improved aviation safety.
IPO Bridges Lab Science And Industry
- IPO captures innovations and secures IP to enable companies to commercialize lab discoveries.
- Tech transfer can also grant external partners facility access or collaborative research pathways beyond licensing.
MIR Born From Fusion Experiments
- Micropower Impulse Radar (MIR) was developed to measure billionth-of-a-second events on NOVA and became portable, low-power radar.
- MIR was commercialized across many firms and used for search-and-rescue, collision avoidance, GPS, and defense systems.