THE PROBLEM: Transferring technology from the laboratory to the marketplace requires not only technical readiness, but also clear market positioning, compelling messaging, and targeted audience engagement. However, many startups with strong scientific potential lack the funds to acquire those crucial resources. Although Congress has made funding available for market assessments, competitor analysis, and market planning through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, many startups do not — or cannot — take advantage of those funds to develop the marketing they need to succeed.

THE SOLUTION: In 2025, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) launched an engagement program to help companies develop custom marketing plans and deliverables at no cost. The program paired 55 students in UTK’s Haslam College of Business with six startups from Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at ORNL; the student teams worked with the startups to identify core business challenges, refine the product’s market fit, and develop comprehensive marketing communication strategies. Each startup received nearly $30,000 worth of branding kits, logos, audience segmentation data, marketing budgets, and execution strategies tailored to their individual goals — a significant asset for startups that are preparing to engage potential customers, partners, and investors.

THE IMPACT: The ORNL/UTK collaboration created a repeatable model that strengthens ORNL’s technology transfer pipeline and transforms scientific research into market-ready ventures. The program allows Innovation Crossroads entrepreneurs to gain access to marketing resources that complement and support their technical prowess. It also deepens collaborations and relationships among ORNL’s Technology Transfer Division, scientific researchers, and Innovation Crossroads alumni. Startups equipped with integrated marketing communications plans are better prepared to engage potential customers, partners, and funders, leading to improved job creation in Tennessee and across the nation.

The UTK students benefited from unique, hands-on experience in a structured environment where they could experience directly how marketing supports technology transition from the lab to the marketplace. The program exposed the students to possible careers in technical fields; in fact, several graduating students pursued jobs in the technology sector that they had not considered before participating in the program. ORNL and UTK anticipate expanding the program to include Innovation Crossroads alumni entrepreneurs, which will ensure ongoing access to marketing expertise beyond the initial student cohorts. Registration for the spring 2026 course reached near capacity shortly after opening, demonstrating the positive reputation the partnership has earned among the Haslam students.