- 5 February 2005 -

Sandia's first entrepreneur in residence

A new initiative at Sandia National Laboratories seeks to stimulate spin-off companies to be built around Sandia technologies that are important to the Lab's national security mission.

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), will allow proven start-up entrepreneurs the opportunity to work directly with technical management and staff at Sandia to identify technologies that when commercialised in start-up companies will contribute to Sandia's national security mission and support economic diversification in New Mexico, the Bay area of California and nationally.

Tom Brennan has been named as the first entrepreneur for the programme by Kevin McMahon, Sandia manager for licensing and IP.

Brennan is chairman of Medical Lighting Solutions which uses solid state lighting to treat disease. Prior to MLS, he was president and CEO of Zia Laser focused on development of QD laser diodes; founder and managing partner of Zircle LLC; VP of Emcore Corp and cofounder and co-president of MicroOptical Devices focused on vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers.

The pilot program is intended to promote a culture of entrepreneurship within the Lab and assist Sandia in interfacing with the venture capital community. EIrs will conduct technology assessments, develop market opportunities, formulate preliminary business cases, and propose business structures for start-up enterprises.

The first Entrepreneur in Residence also will be responsible for recommending policy and business practice modifications for the EIR pilot programme to further refine approaches to creating companies based on Sandia intellectual property.