Collaborative interactions between the ERC and industry are vital to attaining the ERC goals. By providing knowledge gained from attempts to apply technology to commercial applications, industry helps uncover fundamental research issues that are appropriate for the ERC to pursue. In particular, this knowledge helps ERC researchers to identify the technological barriers to commercial application of neuromorphic technologies, and thus, to shape the ERC research programs accordingly. In return for their participation in the development of neuromorphic technologies, companies enjoy access to expertise in these technologies that can be applied to develop new neuromorphic devices and systems for the commercial market.

Two-Tiered Strategy. Our strategy for industrial collaboration and technology transfer is two-tiered. The first tier is a long-term strategy to develop the technology infrastructure that will allow industry to readily design and build neuromorphic systems. This long-term strategy is targeted to revolutionary applications of neuromorphic technologies. These revolutionary changes will often involve startup and small companies which do not have the resources to make significant cash contributions to support the ERC programs in the short-term. In addition, large mature companies may have the ability to make cash contributions but are reluctant to incorporate unproven technologies. Thus, our second tier strategy is to obtain the participation of larger companies by targeting evolutionary changes in existing commercial applications.

We have and expect to continue to receive cash contributions from large, Fortune 1000 companies. We are and will continue to work with many small companies who can not afford to make significant cash contributions.

Technology Transfer. Part of the mission of the recently formed Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) at Caltech is to develop mechanisms for obtaining funding other than cash contributions. We are working closely with OTT to find ways of obtaining equity or royalties in return for ERC intellectual property. Of course, obtaining equity will pay off only occasionally and not for many years, but we expect a few companies to do very well and generate large returns to support the research programs of the future.

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