R-6 ATP Fosters New R&D Directions and Partnerships

R-6 ATP Fosters New R&D Directions and Partnerships

Through its cost-shared funding, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) encourages companies to pursue new research directions that have the potential to lead to path-breaking technologies. ATP also encourages Research and Development (R&D) collaborations among companies and with other organizations to encourage infrastructural technical change across an industry and to address technology challenges that are larger than one company could address alone. Evidence from the Survey of ATP Applicants 2002 shows that ATP is successfully fostering new directions and partnerships.

Respondents were asked to estimate the extent to which their proposed project represented a new R&D direction for their industry or technology field Respondents were asked to estimate the extent to which their proposed project fostered:

a) New individual ties or contacts with other organizations
b) New company partnerships with other organizations
c) Stronger relationships with other organizations

Nearly all ATP applicants report their proposed project represented a new R&D direction for their industry or technology field

95% of applicants say their project was a new direction for their industry or technology field. (See Figure 1.)¹ This is similar to what was found for the year 2000 applicants.

Figure 1 - Extent to which Proposed ATP Project Represents a New R&D Direction for the
Industry or Technology Field

Most ATP applicants report their project proposal fostered new individual ties, new company partnerships, or stronger company relationships

68% of ATP applicants say their project proposal fostered new individual ties. (See Figure 2.)
57% of ATP applicants say their project proposal fostered new company partnerships. (See Figure 3.)
60% of ATP applicants say their project proposal fostered stronger company relationships. (See Figure 4.)
These findings are very similar to the findings based on the year 2000 applicants.

Figure 2 - Extent to which ATP Project Proposal Fostered New Individual Ties or Contacts
with Other Organizations

Figure 3 - Extent to which ATP Project Proposal Fostered New Company Partnerships
with Other Organizations

Figure 4 - Extent to which ATP Project Proposal Fostered Stronger Company Relationships
with Other Organizations

Joint Venture applicants are more likely than Single Company applicants to report that their proposed project fostered new ties and company relationships

94% of Joint Venture applicants report new individual ties or contacts, compared
to 63% for Single Company applicants. (See Figure 5.)
84% of Joint Venture applicants report new company partnerships, compared to
52% for Single Company applicants.
76% of Joint Venture applicants report stronger company relationships, compared
to 56% for Single Company applicants.

Figure 5 - New Ties and Company Relationships: Joint Venture versus Single Company Applicants

____________________
1. We have combined the response categories “large extent” and “moderate extent” for ease of reporting.

Companies seeking to partner with the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) submit proposals to the ATP. Proposals must be for the development of innovative technologies that could not obtain private funding due to the high technical risk and that have the potential to produce widespread benefits to the economy and society. Proposals are evaluated for technical and economic merit in a rigorous competitive review process.

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Date created: July 22, 2005
Last updated: August 11, 2005

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