Doing Business With Brookhaven National Laboratory

Lab holds workshop for partners old and new

Thousands of researchers, vendors and entrepreneurs can claim partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory, whether they are selling goods and services, using our unique facilities for their research, or investing their time and capital to commercialize Lab technologies. To help new prospective partners navigate the rules and procedures governing these interactions, the Lab recently held a business workshop, which attracted attendees from small business to venture capital firms, most of them from the local area.

“We want everyone to know that Brookhaven Lab is here to help businesses grow and prosper and wants to be their partner.”

— OTCP Director Connie Cleary

BNL’s Office of Technology Commercialization and Partnerships sponsored the daylong event, which included breakout sessions focusing on specific areas of interest and tours of some of the Lab’s state-of-the-art user facilities. 

Laboratory Director Doon Gibbs welcomed the participants.

“Although our brand is well known in basic science, in recent years we have taken on the discovery to deployment approach,” he said.  “And we want to do business locally.”

Evelyn Landini from the DOE site office reminded the participants of three inventions where finding applications for the basic discovery took a long time: zippers, post-it notes and bandaids.

“Those are examples of imagining the possibilities,” said Associate Lab Director for Global and Regional Solutions Gerry Stokes, listing other Brookhaven innovations including the first video game, positron emission tomography (PET) science and Energy Conversion Group Leader Tom Butcher’s  “blue flame” oil burner, estimated to have saved consumers $25 billion. 

In the first breakout sessions, Jill Clough-Johnston outlined how to sell products or services to Brookhaven, and in a session dedicated to the Lab’s user facilities, Jay Dickerson spoke about the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and Jun Wang represented the National Synchrotron Light Source

A second round of breakout sessions included tips on doing sponsored research from Mike Furey, and licensing and commercialization of BNL inventions by OTCP Director Connie Cleary.

Cleary said that while this was an inaugural event for Brookhaven, the Lab has a long history of reaching out to the community. 

“What makes this event different is that we had all of the groups that interact with business in one venue—procurement, sponsored research, user facilities and technology commercialization,” she said.  “It is an event we would like to continue and grow because it lays the foundation for building relationships in our community. We want everyone to know that Brookhaven Lab is here to help businesses grow and prosper and wants to be their partner.  We are committed to the regional and economic growth of Long Island.”

Brookhaven Lab also sponsors evening workshops for prospective partners through the Entrepreneurs Network at Brookhaven Lab. The next event is scheduled for the evening of June 9, 2014, and is open to the public.  The theme for the discussion will be “Intellectual Property for your Company” and the workshop will feature a panel of licensed patent attorneys.  For further information, please visit the registration page or contact Christine Scaffidi at 631 344-4238.

2014-4874  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom