New energy-saving technology
Inventors bring devices to business school
By LORA CUYKENDALL
Of the Emerald
The University business
school’s innovation center has
been chosen by the federal gov
ernment to help evaluate new
energy-saving devices brought to
it by private inventors and small
businesses.
The Experimental Center for
the Advancement of Invention and
Innovation, which has been
operating at the University since
1973 on funds provided by a
five-year grant from the National
Science Foundation, primarily will
be involved in determining the
marketability of new energy
related inventions.
“We re facing more than a crisis
in technology in this country,"
says Gerald Udell, director of the
innovation center. "Developing
the technology to deal with the
energy crisis is only part of the
problem. We also have to find
ways to transfer the new technol
ogy to the marketplace — to get
consumers to accept it."
Udell says the center is one of
about a dozen other organizations
which conduct feasibility studies
of energy devices and technology
for the Energy Research and De
velopment Administration
(ERDA). Private companies, in
cluding Research Corporation
and Arthur D. Little, and some uni
versities, including Mas
sachusetts Institute of Technol
ogy (MIT), also evaluate ideas,
2370 W. 11th
30th & Hilyard
Eugene
Cottage Grove
Oakridge
KRUSTEAZ
PANCAKE MIX
BUTTERNILK OR WHOLE WHEAT
0 HOOEY 3'/i LR. QQC
KRAFT COLBY HORN
CHEDDAR 2 lb.
CHEESE $229
Grocery
Hershey’s Instant
COCOA MIX J149
Buie Bonnet
MARGARINE 39c
Drive-N-Save white or Whole Wheat
BREAD 22Vzoz loaf 3/89°
Planter’s Creamy or Chrunchy
PEANUT BUnER »„ *119
Pet Evaporated
MILK 13 oz ,:n 3/89°
Crisco Pure Vegetable
OIL 79c
Crisco Pure Vegetable
OIL 24<* 79c
Dawn Fresh
COTTAGE CHEESE p* 43°
Golden Spread All Purpose
SPREAD Hb cbes 4/*1
Pheasant
DOG FOOD 8/*1
••Tea am
MELLORINE
fits' «“■ 48
Page 6
H-D BATHROOM
TISSUE
4 ROLL PACK
Assorted
U.S.D.A. CHOICE
BONE-IN
ROUNO $117 lb.
STEAK 1
5 lb tin
Meat:
m
57c
Dubuque FuSy Cooked
CANNED HAMS 5 „ ,,,
U.S.D.A. Inspected Young Hen
TURKEY
Produce:
Washington Extra Fancy Red Delicious
APPLES Med. size, 5 lbs
TOMATOES
per lb.
33°
Frozen Foods:
Flav-R-Pac Shredded Hash Brown
POTATOES ,2oz Pkg 4/*1
Bayer
ASPIRIN
Variety:
50 Tablets 68 *
LISTEMK
ANTISEPTIC
20 0Z. Bottle
with 50* coupons
on next purchase
but Udell says the Oregon center
is the only non-eastern group in
volved in the project.
"We were chosen to do the
work because we were the only
non-private organization in the
country that was doing the kind of
studies that needed to be done,"
says Udell.
The innovation center conducts
in-depth studies of inventions and
innovative ideas for technological
feasibility and market success
Charging only a $25 fee for an
initial evaluation, the center uses
student researchers as part of a
practicum marketing course. For
particularly promising inventions,
the center will advise its clients on
marketing strategies and give
other assistance in exchange for a
small royalty agreement
“With passage of the Federal
Non-nuclear Energy Research
and Development Act (in 1974),
Congress committed itself to help
ing encourage the success of all
promising energy-related inven
tions," explains Udell. "They
realized that this country can t af
ford not to tap every available
energy-related product. ’
Under the 1974 energy act, the
National Bureau of Standards
(NBS) is charged with evaluating
energy-related ideas and making
recommendations to ERDA about
the kind of assistance it should
give inventors. Congress has
given ERDA the power to assist
development and marketing of
energy-saving inventions through
grants, contracts, loans or finan
cial awards.
Udell explains that the innova
tion center works under a con
tract agreement with the NBS and
receives about $5,000 for evaluat
ing an idea. It has conducted two
evaluations since last May. The
It's easy to find some great
ideas for spare time fun in the
EMERALD CLASSIFIEDS.
'Great places to snack or dine
'Local offerings of cinema and
stage
'Indoor and outdoor recreation
tips
'Unique sales and sen/ices
Nbb can award only $20,000
worth of contracts a year to any
one organization or firm.
'When we receive an energy
related device to study, we con
duct two evaluations," explains
Udell "If the results of a prelimi
nary computer analysis are good,
we assemble a team of
evaluators, including faculty,
graduate students and members
of the community — anyone who
has expertise in that particular
area. Basically, we want to know
Will it work?' and Will it sell?' "
Udell says highly technical
energy devices are usually given
to universities like MIT to
evaluate "Our focus is mainly on
determining the marketability and
consumer acceptance of
consumer-related energy inven
tions.'' he says.
Udell says the center has been
involved in studying energy
related devices for some time
"Even before the NBS chose us
to do feasibility studies, we had
been getting referrals from mem
bers of Congress and other
sources." The center receives re
ferrals from patent attorneys and
the National Science Foundation
The main problems associated
with evaluating most of the
energy-saving devices, says
Udell, are two market acceptance
factors he calls use pattern com
patibility” and "learning He says
most new energy devices require
consumers to make significant
changes m their accepted use pat
terns and this lowers the device s
chances for market success. He
also says the amount of learning
required to understand the prod
uct or use it effectively is often
very high, another factor which
hinders market success
"Developing marketability of
these products is something very
important to society," says Udell
That s why we aim at not only
determining whether the product
will be a commencal success, but
we also conduct research to de
termine ways to insure and de
velop their marketability
Udell says he sees the work the
center is doing for the NBS and
ERDA as one possible source of
funding to keep the center afloat
when its science foundation grant
runs out in 1977
"We re the only non-private or
ganization around whose purpose
is to assist private inventors," he
says. "The private inventor has
been crucial to the development of
America s technology — it's a
legitimate and important area for
governmental support."
ADULT STUDENT HOUSING INC.
ASHLANE APTS
DENT COMMUNITY
475 Lindale Dr.
• Bus service to campus
• Carpets & drapes
• Children welcome
• Recreation room
• Laundry facilities
• Furnished apts available
equal
housing
opportunity
747-541 1
NOW
TAKING
RESERVATIONS
1, 2 & 3
Bedroom Apartments
y noso
* y I v£ per month'
•includes all utilities except electricity
W»/lna.u/4n.r a ».ii oi i ana