On Wednesday, August 10 from 9 am - 4 pm, leaders in engineering, manufacturing and technology are invited to attend "Partnering with Federal Labs," a workshop sponsored by CIFT and MAGNET on behalf of the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Ohio MEP). The workshop is designed to introduce business leaders to the Federal labs research centers that help push technology to the private marketplace.  The meeting will highlight how federal agencies' expertise and technologies can assist Ohio firms.   USDA-Agricultural Research Service has already formed over 120 formal partnerships this year with companies of all sizes for the development and commercialization of technologies. As of 2015, more than 800 businesses, universities, governments and non-profit groups partnered with either Oak Ridge National Lab or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Through 2016, the Department of Energy is providing up to $20 million in vouchers so that small businesses can request technical assistance from national labs to help bring the next generation of clean technologies to market. The workshop is designed to introduce business leaders to the Federal labs research centers that help push technology to the private marketplace. The meeting will highlight how federal agencies' expertise and technologies can assist Ohio firms. Speakers include representatives from: Federal Lab Consortium (FLC) The FLC is the formally chartered, nationwide network of more than 300 federal laboratories, agencies, and research centers that fosters commercialization best practice strategies and opportunities for accelerating federal technologies from out of the labs and into the marketplace. NASA NASA John H. Glenn Research Center drives research, technology, and systems to advance aviation, advance space missions and aeronautics by leveraging core competencies to deliver from concept through applications. Examples include air breathing propulsion, cryogenic fluids management, communications technology, energy storage and conversion, and materials for extreme environments. U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center USDA – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) The ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination. The ARS research agenda is broad, with about 750 research projects organized under four major program areas: Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality; Animal Production and Protection; Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems; and Crop Production and Protection. Department of Energy, ORNL & NREL The Department of Energy (DOE) has aligned resources to invest in technology research and development, new innovation models, technical assistance, and the shared technical facilities that help transition scientific innovations into new manufacturing capabilities. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have capabilities that include facilities and expertise in: solar, wind, water power, geothermal, bioenergy, buildings, fuel cells, batteries, vehicle technology, advanced manufacturing, and next generation materials. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) The Department of Commerce, NIST, promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. Laboratory capabilities include facilities and expertise in: Bioscience and Health, Building/Fire Research, Physics, Electronics/Telecommunications, Energy, Environment/Climate, Information Technology/Cyber, Manufacturing, Materials Science, Quality/Transportation, and more. For more information, contact CIFT at 419-535-6000 or info@ciftinnovation.org, or register here.