Page 52 - Cyber Warnings

Even with this support, it is often an arduous process and risky proposition not always resulting
in a win-win.

Like with any start-up, it is critical to ensure the new company is funded and staffed
appropriately to execute on its goals and deliver on the parent organization’s mission and
needs.

It also requires a dedicated champion from the parent organization who has a vision for the long
game and benefits that can be achieved with a strong technology transfer partner.

The risks can be off-set by rewards that include revenue from commercializing products, as well
as cost-effective development of a wide range of new technologies.

Contributing to the success of this transfer was the licensing arrangement that PNNL and
DarkLight agreed upon.

Driven by the uniquely close relationship between the two organizations, the licensing
arrangement allows PNNL and other Labs access to the current commercial version, at no
charge for R&D purposes.

There isn’t a divergent ‘commercial’ vs. R&D codebase, which is often the downfall of many
unsuccessful technology transfers.

This relationship provides a structure allowing PNNL researchers the flexibility to innovate with
commercial technology born at the Lab without worrying about infringing on intellectual property
rights.

If the shared codebase planted the seed for DarkLight, the unwavering support of PNNL
provided the nutrients that allowed commercial development of the artificial intelligence platform.

According to Prosci Inc.’s Change Management Learning Center, there is a direct correlation
between active and visible executive support and the success of a major change initiative. In
fact, this is the number one factor in success.

The critical elements in executive support of a program are:

• Taking the lead in establishing a budget and assigning the right resources

• Staying active with the team throughout the project

• Engaging and creating support with other senior managers

• Being a visible champion for the project

• Helping to manage key resistance points

52 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine January 2017 Edition
Copyright © Cyber Defense Magazine, All rights reserved worldwide