Release date: July 7, 2026
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Some technical problems are too specific, too complex, or too far outside a company’s normal day-to-day work to solve alone. A manufacturer might have a product that works at the bench level, but not at scale. A process might be close, but the yield is inconsistent. A team might know what it needs to make, but not who has the equipment, expertise, or research capabilities to help them get there.
In this episode, we talk with David McFeeters-Krone about how the Center for Advanced Technology Solutions, or CATS, helps companies work through those kinds of challenges. Through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, his team helps small and medium-sized manufacturers define the real problem, find the right technical resources, and build connections with federal labs, universities, Manufacturing USA Institutes, vendors, and other partners who may already have part of the answer.
David also shares why these partnerships matter beyond one company or one technical fix. When a business can get past a production hurdle, improve consistency, shorten a supply chain, or avoid a costly dead end, that progress can support U.S. manufacturing, strengthen competitiveness, and help federal lab technologies create real-world impact. His work is a reminder that successful tech transfer often comes down to connecting the right people, problems, and capabilities at the right time.
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In This Episode:
[02:10] David McFeeters-Krone shares how he entered tech transfer through MIT’s Technology Licensing Office after studying physics and unexpectedly landing a role among a team largely connected to MIT.
[03:29] His career expanded into NASA-supported technology commercialization work, where he helped move federal technologies into the marketplace and connected companies with opportunities to collaborate.
[04:14] The early tech transfer landscape was still developing after Bayh-Dole, with universities and federal labs working through many of the licensing practices and questions that still shape the field today.
[05:21] Current work through NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership focuses on helping small manufacturers improve operations, solve production issues, and strengthen their ability to compete.
[06:24] CATS, the Center for Advanced Technology Solutions, supports companies facing technology-related production problems by connecting them with partners who can provide expertise, facilities, capabilities, or research support.
[07:31] Licensees, CRADA partners, vendors, and other lab-connected companies are strong candidates for support because they are often trying to scale new technologies or solve unfamiliar manufacturing challenges.
[09:10] Many companies struggle because their internal teams are already focused on research, payroll, insurance, customers, and daily operations, while CATS can focus directly on finding the right technical solution.
[09:47] Materials, composites, metals, 3D printing, machining, aerospace, biomedical, and agricultural technologies all come up in this work, but the real strength is knowing how to investigate the problem and find the right expert.
[10:50] More established companies are often easier to help quickly because they already know their market and have more business structure in place, but early-stage companies can also benefit from technical matchmaking.
[12:10] Strong partnerships can help smaller companies build credibility, find the right words to explain their needs, and show that they can work responsibly within a broader commercial ecosystem.
[13:32] A soy-wax manufacturer needed help improving formulation consistency while staying within biological requirements, leading to a CRADA with USDA researchers to explore better options.
[14:33] A composite air taxi company avoided costly dead ends by connecting with Oak Ridge-related resources that could evaluate manufacturing options and identify a more practical path forward.
[15:51] Shortening supply chains is becoming a major priority, especially when companies can bring production closer to home or help existing suppliers build the capability to make what is needed.
[17:10] Domestic manufacturing, defense procurement needs, and support for small manufacturers are all creating more urgency around investment, technical connections, and better use of existing U.S. capabilities.
[18:14] Federal labs and their partners can move faster by working with organizations like MEP, CATS, Apex Accelerators, and Small Business Development Centers that are already eager to help companies succeed.
[19:51] Listeners can learn more about MEP through NIST, follow CATS on LinkedIn, or contact David directly through Intellectual Assets for help finding technical resources and partnership opportunities.