Regional Coalition of LANL Communities Announces Support of Tech Transfer Bills
Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) June 22, 2015 -- The Regional Coalition of LANL Communities is pleased to announce their support of Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) in his sponsorship of bills S.784 the Microlab Technology Commercialization Act, and S.1259 the National Laboratory Technology Maturation Program Act. Both bills would be a major source of economic development potential for communities represented by the Coalition.
Senator Heinrich attended a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 9th, 2015 where he presented testimony on both bills and his efforts to encourage technology transfer of Laboratory generated technologies that have the potential to be commercialized and licensed to private companies. This development program would generate workforce development and opportunities for startups to utilize these technologies throughout the state of New Mexico.
The Microlab Technology Commercialization Act focuses on establishing a program that would set up microlabs in close proximity to National Laboratories, allowing innovators to move technologies to the marketplace while working alongside the scientists and engineers who developed them. Dovetailing the Microlab Bill, the National Laboratory Technology Maturation Program Act would provide vouchers up to $250,000 to entrepreneurs, enabling them to collaborate with the scientists and engineers of the national laboratories to assist in the development of licensed technology as it is moved toward commercialization.
“Through these Bills, the entrepreneurs in our local communities will have the opportunity to tap into technology at the Lab, providing us access to exceptional world-class science and technology,” Chair of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities, Mayor Alice Lucero stated. “This gives our communities a great advantage in developing new jobs, companies and the future of innovation.”
In enthusiastic support of this effort the Coalition applauded the efforts of the sponsors of the bills and emphasized the opportunities for regional economic development that the passage of the legislation would entail for the communities of Northern New Mexico. The Coaltion requested the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee support the bills in part of their ongoing mission to ensure that state and federal policies protect and promote local interests.
The hearing record for both bills is open until June 23rd. The Coalition joins the Energy Communities Alliance, an organization comprised of local governments impacted by Department of Energy activities in expressing support for both tech transfer bills and their sponsors.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Lindi Douglass
806-584-1076
lindi(at)jlhmedia(dot)com
ABOUT THE REGIONAL COALITION: The Regional Coalition is comprised of nine cities, towns, counties and pueblos surrounding the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Founded in 2011, the Regional Coalition works in partnership to ensure national decisions incorporate local needs and concerns. The organization's focus is environmental remediation, regional economic development and site employment, and adequate funding for LANL. The 2015 Board of Directors includes Chair, Mayor Alice Lucero, City of Espanola; Vice-Chair, Councilor Andrew Gonzales, Town of Taos; Secretary/Treasurer Javier Gonzales, Mayor of Santa Fe; Commissioner Henry Roybal, Santa Fe County; Councilor Steve Girrens, Los Alamos County Council; Commissioner Mark Gallegos, Taos County; Governor Earl Salazar, Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh; Governor Raymond Loretto, Pueblo of Jemez; and Commissioner Barney Trujillo, Rio Arriba County; http://regionalcoalition.org.
Lindi Douglass, JLH Media, http://www.jlhmedia.com, +1 806 584 1076, [email protected]
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