The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) announces the launch of the National Laboratory Tech-to-Market activities taking place at the 2014 Fuel Cell Seminar and Energy Exposition (FCS&EE) on November 11 in Los Angeles, California. In an effort to foster increased collaboration with National Laboratories, the DOE is working to identify and develop strategies to overcome key barriers to commercialization of innovative technologies developed at National Labs by identifying mechanisms to make intellectual property widely available.

On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, the FCTO will host several events at the FCS&EE. The first session, from 3–5 p.m. PST, will demystify the process of working with National Labs and discuss the mechanisms to put Labs to work on industry problems. The second session, during the B2B (Business-to-Business) Product Theater, from 5–7 p.m. PST, will highlight the National Labs' unique capabilities, and opportunities to leverage skills and technologies.

In addition, Reuben Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation, will keynote the Tuesday Opening Plenary session from 9–9:30 a.m. PST. Sarkar oversees EERE's Sustainable Transportation area, which includes the Vehicle, Fuel Cell, and Bioenergy Technologies offices. He oversees annual investments of more than $600 million with a focus on advanced transportation technologies to reduce our oil dependence and emissions. Hydrogen and fuel cells are an integral part of the administration’s "all-of-the above" energy strategy and the Climate Action Plan, and aligned with the DOE's goals. The exposition hall also will feature a DOE Lab Tech-to-Market "Collaboration Corner," instead of a traditional booth space, to allow for networking and follow-up throughout the FCS&EE conference.

The annual FCS&EE is an international gathering of the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industries and their customers and stakeholders. Over a four-day span, the conference hosts 1,000+ attendees and features more than 200 presentations from around the world.

More information is available at the FCS&EE website.