An Assessment of the SBIR Program at the Department of Defense (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 437-450
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From page 437... ...
Further developments of the display technology, as noted above, have occurred under SBIR awards from the Navy. Overall, Specialty Devices' emerging display technology is seen as having great market potential, but is described as not yet having reached the point where it is ready for commercialization.
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From page 438... ...
The SBIR program has served as a critical source of funds for the firm to undertake new R&D. SBIR has contributed to Specialty Devices' increasing role as a provider of goods and services to DoD and to its core technological and product base, which is seen as having considerable private sector potential.
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From page 439... ...
Air UNEDITED PROOFS
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From page 440... ...
EXPERIENCES WITH SBIR SBIR awards have represented only about 5 percent of the firm's revenue, but are viewed as having made important contributions to its market position. If work on its current SBIR projects takes hold, it could lead to strong sales potential.
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From page 441... ...
Further detracting from the attractiveness of the SBIR program in such situations is that its pre-contract expenses are not reimbursable. The investment of firm resources on Phase I and subsequent Phase 2 awards can readily exceed the available profit derived from the awards.
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From page 443... ...
While in Maine, he learned about the SBIR program via some of the program's brochures as well as an outreach seminar sponsored by the state of Maine to encourage the state's small businesses to apply for SBIR awards. Benton submitted a number of Phase I proposals, succeeding with his third submission.
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From page 444... ...
Had he been required to make the frequent adjustments to his start-up firms business strategy while living in Massachusetts, he likely would have gone to work for a large firm. From 1987-1991, Technology Systems essentially was a contract R&D firm, heavily dependent on SBIR awards for its revenues.
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From page 445... ...
One attractive feature in the forming of software firms, according to Benton, is that they typically do not require as much initial capital as prototype development and/or manufacturing firms. Technology Systems remains a privately held firm.
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From page 446... ...
It also accepts as a fact of life the ebb and flow of funding for specific topic areas; indeed, it sees this as a positive feature of the SBIR program, as this ebb and flow leads over time to the entry and exit of firms from successive competitions, thus providing for a process of natural selection in who wins. However, it does not look with favor on the proposal to set aside a portion of DoD SBIR funds for the biotech sector.
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From page 447... ...
Technology Systems' initial R&D project for DARPA on network simulation has been incorporated into ISO and IEEE standards. Estimation of the savings generated by the firm's SBIR awards is conceptually feasible although difficult, because the firm's technological advances are typically incorporated into larger training and weapons systems provided by DoD's prime contractors, such as Lockheed-Martin.
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From page 448... ...
It continues to invest in R&D to widen the range of uses of heat pipe technology. Reflecting its transition from an R&D to a production oriented firm, contract R&D projects from NASA and DoD and original equipment manufacturer presently represent approximately UNEDITED PROOFS
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From page 449... ...
. EXPERIENCES WITH SBIR PROGRAM Thermacore began active pursuit of SBIR awards soon after SBIR's program establishment, detailing one of its engineers to monitor SBIR topics.
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From page 450... ...
SBIR awards from several government agencies, including DoD, NASA, and DOE. It considers the SBIR proposal selection process(es)
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