Sandia National Laboratories has announced that its employees have received recognition from the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for their outstanding success in commercializing technology. The FLC serves as a hub, fostering partnerships and pathways to connect laboratory innovations with commercial markets.
The disinfectant product, termed "Disinfectant 2.0", which eradicates viruses, bacteria, and fungi for extended periods, was awarded the 2024 Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Award. This award-winning product was co-developed during the COVID-19 pandemic by scientist Hongyou Fan, utilizing Sandia's technology. Furthermore, Samantha Updegraff, Sandia's Chief Intellectual Property/Patent Counsel, was recognized as the outstanding tech transfer professional of the year by the FLC for her innovative strategies in advancing Sandia's technology transfer objectives. The FLC also commended the TRGR technology readiness initiative for its accomplishments in commercializing technology derived from national laboratories, according to a press release by Sandia National Laboratories.
Fan reflected on his journey at Sandia and said, "Years ago, when I started this work at Sandia, I was focused only on the fundamental science side." He added that when the pandemic struck, they realized the immense impact their work could have globally, particularly during a crisis period. "Now I feel so excited. You don’t know what a big deal this science can be in the future," he stated.
In another statement from Updegraff reported by Sandia National Laboratories' press release she expressed her aspirations saying: "I hope to streamline or at least demystify partnership processes at Sandia." She further elaborated on her vision of making it easier for industry stakeholders, government bodies, academia and other national laboratories to collaborate with them. "The hope is to lower the barrier to entry and ensure more technologies can be transferred to external partners," she said.
Sandia National Laboratories primarily focuses on national security, applying scientific expertise to detect, repel, defeat, or mitigate threats. It is operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., and serves as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), according to the about webpage provided by Sandia National Laboratories.