Parallax Advanced Research leverages the Triple Helix Model of innovation (Adapted from Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff (2000)) to develop academic-industry-government partnerships that lead to novel innovations that advance the United States’ national security measures and capabilities. The Model involves facilitating partnerships between academia, industry, and government and specifically connecting academic-industry capabilities and research with the federal government to fulfill imperative national security needs and technical gaps.
According to Dr. Frank DiGiovanni, Parallax VP, Disruptive Solutions, the model serves as the company’s North Star.
“It is the conceptual framework that I use for my tech-scouting and data analytics tasks,” said Dr. DiGiovanni. “Innovation is dynamic across all three lobes of the helix, which are the industry or commercial, government, and academic sectors. Often, organizations focus on the industry/commercial sector, thinking that most innovation happens on the private side of the helix. However, in the real world, innovation occurs across all three lobes of the helix.”
Through its Innovation and Talent Management Program, Parallax provides innovation services to its clients to facilitate innovation within organizations. These services include innovation consulting, developing innovation hubs, developing high performing teams, facilitating workshops, and developing innovation courses and challenge programs. The program also features the Talent Exchange Program, which builds collaborative partnerships and personnel exchange opportunities across academia, industry, and government sectors. As a derivative of the guiding principles of the Triple Helix Model, Parallax’s Talent Exchange Program promotes intelligent teaming opportunities between and among academic-industry-government partners and participants, resulting in the development and advancement of diversity of thought, innovative ideas, and bold solutions.
Through its Science and Technology Enhancement programs, such as the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), Parallax provides consulting and training services and hosts opportunity days and colliders that bring together entities from each sector represented in the Triple Helix Model. By facilitating collaborative events and spaces, each sector can communicate their areas of interests, needs, and capabilities with the larger group and, thus, improve their understanding of where their capability and/or need fits into the larger ecosystem and how it may be fulfilled or developed via academic-industry-government partnerships.
OFRN has the mission to stimulate Ohio’s innovation economy by building vibrant, statewide university-industry research collaborations that meet the requirements of Ohio’s federal laboratories, resulting in the creation of leading-edge technologies that drive job growth in Ohio. It is a program managed by Parallax in collaboration with Ohio State on behalf of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
For example, OFRN recently held an opportunity day for the manufacturing sector that hosted businesses interested in non-dilutive funding of their manufacturing technologies. The event featured presentations by two federal partners, AFRL and NASA, and a keynote speaker from Ohio State about Broad Area Announcements (BAA) for six funding opportunities. The result of the event was that businesses had the opportunity to directly connect with other Ohio-wide academic and government institutions, and OFRN assisted interested companies through the announcement application process.
Karen Posey, OFRN consultant, shared that many large companies and organizations struggle with innovation because they focus on only innovating within their companies.
“Innovation can’t happen this way,” said Posey. “Innovation happens by collaborating with people within and outside one’s organization. That is Parallax’s intention with the Science and Technology Enhancement Programs it manages, such as OFRN.”
According to Maj. Gen. (ret.) Mark Bartman, OFRN senior advisor, the key to the OFRN program’s success is matching academic research to small business capabilities that meet federal partner needs.
“The AFVentures 2020 Annual Report states that Ohio State was awarded 26 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards between 2018 and 2020,” said Bartman. “The majority of the awards were obtained in 2020. Parallax, OFRN, and Ohio State worked with Ohio small businesses, academic researchers, and government partners on these award applications. These figures indicate the high success rate of the collaborative triple helix model of research and innovation practiced by Parallax and OFRN.”
OFRN’s network is comprised of 21 Ohio universities and colleges, 97 businesses, and five government partners. To date, OFRN has funded 35 projects totaling $51.4 million.
“Everything we do revolves around the Triple Helix Model,” said Posey. “We have seven actively funded Round 5 research projects led by industry-academia-government partnerships in Ohio. Each project involves two universities and one small business and is sponsored by one of OFRN’s five federal partners, including the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), National Aeronatuics Space Administration (NASA), National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Natval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-D) and Ohio National Guard.”
Since 2014, OFRN’s 35 funded research projects have resulted in 12 intellectual properties and accrued $354 million in follow-on funding and $34.7 million in industry sponsored research. The projects have also resulted in 13 startups and 338 direct jobs and over 1,167 indirect jobs created in Ohio.
“With this model in mind, Parallax and its programs can continue to produce exceptional value and results for our clients, partners, and stakeholders across academia, industry, and the government,” said Dennis Andersh, Parallax president and CEO. “I believe it’s a game-changer that not only leads to groundbreaking ideas but also secures our country’s economic future.”
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About Parallax Advanced Research
Parallax is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges by accelerating innovation and developing technology and solutions through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia across Ohio and the Nation. Together with academia, Parallax accelerates innovation that leads to breakthroughs. Together with the government, Parallax tackles critical global challenges and delivers new solutions. Together with the industry, Parallax develops groundbreaking ideas and speeds them to market.