Understanding Technology Transfer

Technology transfer is a process for applying known technologies to new and novel applications. The term is widely recognized, but the process is not well understood. Technology transfer has significant value for developing industries, including the field of assistive technology. However, this value cannot be realized until the process is fully understood and properly implemented. This paper explains why technology transfer has value for assistive technology, presents a conceptual model of the process that describes the components and their relations, and discusses how intermediaries facilitate the process of transforming a technology into a new and novel product. The technology transfer process involves a series of activities that require cooperation between multiple stakeholder groups over a period of time. Fully applying this process will advance technology transfer from an occasional coincidence to a structured methodology, with intermediaries facilitating stakeholder interaction where necessary.