Technology transfer ensures that NETL-RUA’s investigations and innovations contribute to solving the complex energy challenges faced by our Nation and the world. NETL-RUA’s research must make the leap from laboratory to marketplace before it can affect a positive change and ensure better economy, supply, and environmentally friendly methods that will aid in the discovery, recovery, and use of America’s fossil fuels. A primary goal of NETL-RUA is to transfer information and technologies to private-sector companies, academia, and other Government entities, in order to accelerate the advancement and commercialization of valuable technologies.

To fulfill this task, the Alliance develops and manages strategic relationships with other commercial, educational, and not-for-profit institutions, as well as other Government entities to leverage expertise, technologies and other intellectual property.   Through its interaction with these partnerships, particularly the region's commercialization alliance of non-profit organizations that have specialized expertise in moving innovative technologies into the market, the Alliance expands its capacity for identifying, researching, analyzing, and bringing to market new businesses to produce, manage, and streamline advanced innovations and new products that can cut costs, improve efficiency, and conserve our environment.

NETL-RUA technologies promise market potential and great social impact. Commercialization of these technologies provides economic benefits for both the technology developer and the technology user. NETL-RUA’s technology transfer program encourages the adaptation of technologies, systems, and knowledge developed in one sector (energy) to benefit another (medicine, military), and it minimizes the duplication of research between sectors while maximizing the return on investment of energy research. Further benefits include the possibility of two-way transfer: spin-off from energy to non-energy sectors, and spin-in of technologies developed for non-energy sectors that might be relevant to energy.

NETL-RUA’s technology transfer positively impacts the American people and supports international causes, such as the curbing of greenhouse gas emissions. Through partnerships, patents, licensing, publications, and policy discussions, NETL ensures its discoveries profit our Nation.