Released: March 28, 2022

(WASHINGTON, DC and ROCKVILLE, Md., – March 28, 2022) The Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) has entered into a strategic partnership with Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), based in Rockville, MD as part of an ongoing campaign to help local businesses and entrepreneurs with innovative technologies succeed through collaborations with federal laboratories.

The Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) was formed in 1997 as a public-private partnership (formerly known as the Greater Rockville Partnership) by the City of Rockville, Maryland, to build the city’s economic base through entrepreneurship, expansion, retention, and recruitment programs. REDI and the FLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 22, 2022.

Under the agreement, the FLC and REDI will jointly encourage partnerships between federal laboratories and industry, especially small businesses and women entrepreneurs, to help move technologies out of the lab and into the marketplace – a vital process known as technology transfer. These public-private partnerships will support new innovations, leading to job creation and economic benefits.

The agreement will help link Rockville businesses to laboratories within the 15 federal agencies located nearby, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Collaborative opportunities may also involve the Maryland Women’s Business Center, REDI’s special initiative for local women entrepreneurs that is certified by the Small Business Administration, an existing FLC partner.

The FLC and REDI will work together to promote and participate in mutually beneficial activities such as joint meetings, sponsorships and special events to maximize federal labs’ presence in the region.

“REDI’s partnership with FLC is a great opportunity to highlight the resources available for tech transfer and collaboration to attract companies to Rockville and help them grow” said Susan Prince, REDI Board Chair

“Working with REDI will provide exciting opportunities for the FLC to connect federal labs with entrepreneurs in Rockville, Maryland. The city shows strong growth in technology, software development, and biotech, and benefits from its proximity to Washington, D.C. and numerous federal labs,” said Paul Zielinski, Executive Director of the FLC.

Learn more about the FLC’s organizational partners here. Groups interested in working with federal laboratories should contact the FLC to learn more at [email protected].

About the FLC

The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) is a formally chartered, nationwide network of more than 300 federal laboratories, agencies, and research centers that foster commercialization best practice strategies and opportunities for accelerating federal technologies from out of the labs and into the marketplace. To learn more, visit www.federallabs.org.

About REDI

REDI is a public-private partnership that helps businesses launch, locate and expand in the City of Rockville, Maryland. Committed to economic development, REDI is proactive in its efforts to support existing industry and attract new businesses. REDI provides businesses with the tools to get started in Rockville, and resources and guidance to existing businesses in the city. To learn more, visit https://rockvilleredi.org/about/

Media contact: Carolina Olivieri, FLC Marketing Director, [email protected]