U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke visited the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta today for the final of four regional innovation forums held at universities across the country. Since late June, the department’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Economic Development Administration has hosted forums at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Southern California, the University of Michigan and now Georgia Tech. Each forum has engaged university leaders and key stakeholders in a discussion about how the Obama administration can help move ideas from the lab to the marketplace, building upon a national dialogue Locke began in February.

“America is not lacking for groundbreaking ideas. Nor are we short on entrepreneurs willing to take risks,” Locke said. “What we need to do is get better at connecting the great ideas to the great company builders.

“Here in Atlanta, you set a very high standard for how universities and the private sector can work with federal research dollars to create businesses and jobs right here in Georgia. Our goal is to make this high level of performance in technology commercialization the standard nationwide.”

Following today’s innovation forum, Locke visited Suniva, a Georgia-based manufacturer that is advancing ways to make solar photovoltaic technology more cost-effective. The company’s affiliation with the Georgia Institute of Technology is an example of how public-private partnerships can help create and commercialize important new technologies. Read more  |  Remarks