Script

Advanced Technology Program
Narrator's Script to NIST Video Highlighting
ATP Role in Technology Innovation

Date Created: June 2000 | Last Update: July 28, 2000

Video Startup

Video opens with Advanced Technology Program Logo

Video continues with . . . discordant music; fast-paced cuts of "fiercely competitive global markets" (stock markets; very busy - recognizably international city/industry scenes)

Audio (Music) and Video (scenes) continue leading up to Narrator's introduction

Audio: Narrator

In today's fiercely competitive global marketplace it is essential that the United States remain at the frontier of innovation. But too often the most promising technologies are never realized, or they're achieved by foreign competitors. Why? High risk, along with limited financial resources, time and support.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title: Innovating Impact.
The Advanced Technology Program
Bridging the gap between the laboratory and the marketplace

Audio: Music Positive, Upbeat

Video

Visuals -- a mix of various kinds of technology development.

Audio: Greg Merril, Chairman and Founder, HT Medical Systems, Inc

The ATP program allows us to bridge that gap by providing the funding which lets us overcome the really high-risk technical development, so we can get those technologies . . .out of the research labs and into commercial viability. . .

Video: Stan Morris on Camera

Audio: Stan Morris, Chief Technology Officer, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Research and development is fundamental to the success of our economy. It always has been, it always will be. All of our ability to grow, really, ultimately, depends on our ability to create.

The ATP program is particularly important in that regard because it encourages and accelerates programs that are already carefully aimed at important commercial outcomes.

Audio: Narrator

The Advanced Technology Program is a part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration.

In the critical early stages of research and development the ATP investment enables industry to extend its technological reach and push the envelope of what can be attempted.

Video: Cita Furlani on Camera

Audio: Cita Furlani, Acting Deputy Director, Advanced Technology Program

. . .what we're trying to stimulate, through the funding of ATP, is focusing on the longer-term goal.

So if we can put our dollars in there and encourage them to take the risk that may have this big payoff a few years downstream, then that's what we're about.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
ATP: Accelerating . . .
New Ideas
New Technologies
New Markets

Audio: Music

Video: Dale Taylor on Camera

Audio: Dale Taylor, Senior Vice President, Ceramatec

. . .we needed ATP in order to accelerate our development process in order to compete with other countries that are doing the same thing.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
Jobs
Economic growth
New technologies

Video: Mix of technology scenes

Audio: Narrator

ATP's purpose is to foster the development of high-risk technologies that promise widespread benefits for the economy - benefits that extend far beyond the anticipated commercial payoffs.

ATP- funded projects cover a broad spectrum of industries, technologies and multimedia learning tools. Everything from aquaculture to x-ray lithography.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
virtual reality
medical simulations

Audio: Music

Video: Gregory Merril on Camera

Audio: Greg Merril, Chairman and Founder, HT Medical Systems, Inc

We had demonstrated, with our early prototypes, the capability to do medical simulation, using very expensive computers. What we needed was a way to alleviate the risk in terms of the technology development because we demonstrated that the market would be receptive if we were able to develop the technology. So we looked at the ATP program to really allow us to overcome the high risk engineering work that needed to be done prior to actual commercialization.

Video: Scenes by HT Medical

Audio: Greg Merril

Through the research we've done with the ATP program, now, with HT Medical's technology, you can incorporate the patient-specific data, you can practice using different medical devices within .the computer model of the actual patient -- and make decisions.Make mistakes without putting the patient at risk.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
Industry-Driven Partnerships

Audio: Music

Video: Scene of two people working together.

Title:
. . . springback predictability in sheet metal forming

Video: Narrator

".let's take a look at the mesh in this area."

Audio over several scenes illustrating industry settings: Cita Furlani

ATP makes it easier for companies to come together and do the research and then break apart. So, even if they're competitors, they can agree that this is something that they both need ... to get over this particular technical hurdle.

Video: Second scene of two people working together

Audio: Narrator

" . . .it looks like you're picking up a lot of binder force."

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Titles:
Universities
Laboratories
Software developers
Automotive, steel and aluminum manufacturers

Audio: Narrator

Through one ATP award a consortium is working to predict the springback properties of new, lightweight materials used in the automotive stamping process - to bring quality vehicles to the market faster and cheaper.

Video: A series of automotive manufacturing scenes

Audio: Dan Vandenbossche, Senior Manager, Daimler-Chrysler

No one of us has the requisite number of scientists or the research capabilities to address the problem.

It was through the ATP that we had the vehicle for doing that.

Bringing bright minds together you can accomplish just about anything. You can buy technology, robots and lasers. But it's very difficult to buy that expertise or to find that expertise internally . . .

Video: Dan Vandenbossche on Camera

So what the ATP does, it gives you the opportunity to bring those fine minds together.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:oxygen generation

Audio: Narrator

Air Products & Chemicals is the global leader in the supply of oxygen. Ceramatec is a small Utah-based company. Together they are developing a revolutionary way to produce inexpensive, pure oxygen based on ionic transport membrane technology - ITM.

Currently, the third largest bulk chemical produced in the U.S., the global market for oxygen could expand dramatically with the ITM technology

Audio: Dale Taylor, Senior Vice President, Ceramatec

We had technology. They had the whole distribution network. They had the people.

When someone wants oxygen they're going them. They're not going to call Ceramatec.

And so that was to us, a perfect marriage.

Audio: Stan Morris, Chief Technology Officer, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

You'll introduce complexity. It's harder to manage but the reward is a richer exchange of ideas, a richer invention process, and ultimately, more creativity.

Video: Scene: Taylor and co-worker brainstorming at board

Audio: Dale Taylor, Senior Vice President, Ceramatec

Developing that technology more slowly was equivalent to not developing it at all. We were just going to lose the race.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
Resources and Expertise

Audio: Music (background)

Video: Scenes of round-table discussion and scientific expertise

Audio: Narrator

With NIST's extensive contacts in industry and academia, companies can get help in putting together a joint research venture, access NIST laboratories, or find links to additional expertise and resources.

Audio: Dale Taylor, Senior Vice President, Ceramatec

ATP was able to provide contacts in other industries that have dealt with similar problems that we could discuss them with freely, and come to more quickly, a resolution to our problems.

Video: Scene (B-Roll)

Title:
light
shaping
diffusers

Audio: Narrator

As a result of an ATP award, Physical Optics Corporation is now manufacturing millions of square feet of diffusers; a technology they conceived of to cheaply increase the brightness of displays for the television, computer and automotive industries. And the market is huge.

Video: Joanna Jannson on Camera

Audio: Joanna Jannson, President & CEO, Physical Optics Corporation

POC was very surprised to find ATP reviewers, starting from the interview that we had before winning the contract, very knowledgeable about the market.

. . .the ATP personnel understands very well the commercial potential of the technologies they fund.

Audio: Stan Morris, Chief Technology Officer, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

They can be a help in actually causing you to think very carefully through your project.

Video: Scenes from Genencor International, Inc.

Audio: Narrator

developing biological catalysts to make chemicals from renewable resources

Video: Scientific scenes related to Genencor International's ATP-funded project

Audio: Karl Sanford Off Camera

Genencor International, Inc. is developing biological catalysts to make chemicals from renewable resources. The project combines breakthrough technologies in biotechnology and chemistry, providing broad applications for creating new materials and a leading edge toward a future bio-based economy . . . so the whole practice of chemistry is going to be altered as a result of this program.

Video: Continued scenes from Genencor International, Inc. (project scenes and strategy sessions with co-worker in front of a white-board)

Karl Sanford on Camera

Audio: Karl Sanford, V.P. Technology Development, Genencor International, Inc.

I think people take the reviews and the feedback we get from ATP NIST in a very serious way . . .

. . . ATP NIST is a partner in this. But in a sense, they're also outsiders and evaluators.

Having them come and give us a once over I think is a high point because we can take that feedback and say yeh we're doing good. We usually get encouragement. But here's some things we need to be doing for the next round.

Audio: Karl Sanford off Camera

Video: Scenes depicting Intellectual Property Rights

Audio: Karl Sanford

Intellectual property rights, which are a very significant part of high tech development are not diluted out but are preserved within the commercial entity that is doing the work.

Video: Rick Shie on Camera

Audio: Rick Shie, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Physical Optics Corporation

The ATP program is a way to get funding, bring technology to the marketplace, and still maintain the ownership and control of your company.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
Credibility and Support

Audio: Shao-Tang Sun on Camera

Audio: Shao-Tang Sun, President, Elsicon, Inc.

Actually, the most interesting thing about ATP management is that they have this culture; that they want you to succeed. And, based on that culture, they'll do everything to help you succeed.

Video: Scene orienting liquid crystal molecules using light

Audio: Narrator

. . . and succeeding is exactly what Elsicon is doing. A tiny company of just 10 employees, Elsicon has a market for their optical alignment technology nearing $100 million dollars.

Video: Several scenes from Elsicon project

Audio: Wayne Gibbons off Camera

The ATP program gave credibility to our technology and products . . .

Audio: Wayne Gibbons on Camera

Video: Wayne Gibbons, Director of Operations, Elsicon, Inc.

. . . we were able to go and say to other groups that look, we won this government contract that says that this is a good technology and if they understand the goals of the ATP, they recognize that's important.

Audio: Shao-Tang Sun

. . .because ATP is so hard to get in. It's peer reviewed and it's highly competitive. The fact that you won an ATP says that the technology has something in it.

Video: Introduction to Next Scene

Title:
Risk, Vision, Results

Audio: Music Over Scene

Video: Cita Furlani On Camera

Audio: Cita Furlani, Acting Deputy Director, Advanced Technology Program

ATP is always looking for high technical risk and low business risk. We want some assurance that once they get over the technical risk, that the rest of it will flow, that there is an understanding of what needs to be done, and from a product point of view, commercialization path and understanding of the market.

Video: Scene of Stress analysis on Camera

Audio: Dale Taylor, Senior Vice President, Ceramatec

You can get so wrapped up in the details of how interesting and clever the technology is, that you don't think about how you're going to get it into the marketplace.

.in the review process. . .their questions are. . ."Don't tell me how interesting this technology is. . .how is this going to go commercial?"

Audio: Cita Furlani

So, we're looking for a double hit: We want our companies to succeed and grow, themselves. . .But. . .What we really want to do is make sure that the technologies. . . and the science that is being developed in the United States -- comes to the marketplace and benefits the United States taxpayer.

Video: Scenes depicting several high-risk R&D projects

Audio: Stan Morris Off Camera

So they're encouraging partnering. They're encouraging the proper questions to be answered, up front. They're encouraging proper planning of the research project as it goes forward. They're encouraging proper reporting. All of these things, frankly, anyone should do but not everyone does . . .

Video: Stan Morris on Camera

Audio: Stan Morris, Chief Technology Officer, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

. . . If you can do all of those things, you're probably a good candidate for an ATP grant.

Video: Additional scenes depicting several high-risk R&D projects

Audio: Cita Furlani off Camera

ATP was formed to try to be that bridge from the laboratory to the marketplace.

Audio: Cita Furlani on Camera

. . . and some people have said, more recently, that, "Well, hey, the economy's doing great. Technology is really booming. Why do we need ATP?" We have the lead, guys. Why not stay ahead?

Video: Production Close, Disclaimer, and Credits (Over Music)

Presented by National Institute of Standards and Technology
Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce

The display of products and services in this program does not imply an endorsement by NIST.

Special thanks to:

Alcoa
Argonne National Laboratory
The Budd Co.
Ceramatec
Daimier Chrysler Corporation
Eastman Chemical Co.
Electrosynthesis Co., Inc.
Elsicon
Environmental Research Triangle of Michigan Ford Motor Co.
Genencor International, Inc.
General Motors Corporation
HT Medical Systems, Inc.
Livermore Software Technology Corporation
MicroGenomics
Physical Optics Corporation
U.S. Steel

Director/Editor: Richard Kane

Wirer: Joan Porter

Videographers: Dennis Bonni and Michael Morton

Narrator: Melissa Leeboert

Additional footage provided by:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
American Bankers Association
AT&:T
Automotive Industry Action Group
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
HT Medical Systems, Inc.
Johnson Controls, Inc.

Executive Producer: Ron E. Meinenger, NIST Public and Business Affairs

Produced by: Kane-Lewis Productions

For more information contact:

Advanced Technology Program
NIST
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4701
Phone: 800-ATP-FUND (287-3863)
E-mail: atp@nist.gov
Website: www.atp.nist.gov

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