TechLink : Moving Into the 21st Century

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Moving Into the 21st Century

Montana Business Quarterly
Autumn 1999, p. 18

TechLink Helps Businesses Uncover Technology

By Diane S. Cattrell

Mapping noxious weeds with remote sensing equipment, protecting cancer patients from radiation's harmful effects, and developing a Mars Cargo Vehicle for deep space travel are just a few of the projects Montana high-tech firms are working on as the millennium nears.

Continuing to develop new technologies like these is important for business survival in an increasingly global, technology-driven marketplace.
Limited access to networks and funding--as well as geographic isolation--have traditionally challenged Montana's high-tech firms.

But that has been changing in recent years. The Montana State University-Bozeman TechLink Center, created in 1996, helps businesses in Montana and surrounding states gain access to NASA, the Department of Defense, and other federal laboratories' technologies and expertise. TechLink works with businesses to uncover and access new technology at 700 federally funded research centers throughout the United States.

Though still relatively young, TechLink has forged a number of successful partnerships involving Montana businesses (see table). Historically associated with rapid growth and highly-trained, well-paid workforces, high-tech firms have a measurable economic impact on local, state, and regional economies.
In addition to providing assistance to high-tech firms, TechLink focuses its efforts on Montana industry.

"If we can determine how some microorganisms are able to resist tremendous levels of radiation, perhaps we can devise methods to protect NASA crew members and even cancer patients receiving radiation therapy."
--Dr. Joan Combie
Montana Biotech

One of Montana's largest industries, agriculture dominates the state's landscape, but weak profitability and growing competition from abroad threaten this sector.

New technologies that make farming and ranching more efficient may help increase agriculture's profit margins. One such technology, remote sensing, offers new insights for crop and range management. It may also be useful in battle against noxious weeds, one of the state's top environmental problems.

TechLink recently organized a demonstration trial in southwestern Montana's Ruby Red Valley to determine how effective aerial remote sensing is for mapping and managing noxious weeds. More than a dozen companies and government organizations participated, and the general consensus was that this technology should be a valuable tool in fighting the spread of weeds.
Another of TechLink's agriculture-related projects involves MagTrac, a Columbus company that has developed a radio-frequency device to track cattle identifications. Cattle ingest these devices, allowing anchers/researchers to better monitor temperature, reproduction, and other health indicators. MagTrac is evaluating NASA's micro-sensing technology, which would further enhance their radio device. Successful commercialization of these technologies could revolutionize cattle rearing, breeding, finishing, and beef marketing.

TechLink has also worked with forest products and mining companies.
Looking to the future, companies that are developing new technologies will help create jobs, promote business and industry, and preserve the quality of our Montana lifestyle.
C

lose cooperation between industry, university, NASA, and Department of Defense research centers will continue to have a positive impact on the state's economy.

Table 1 - Providing Opportunities for Montana's High-Tech Firms
Montana Company	Company Specialty	How TechLink Helped
Montana Biotech, Belgrade	Develops commercial products from microbes that live in extreme environments such as acidic hot springs or radioactive waters. Working with microorganisms that can be used to clean up toxic wastes, provide new non-toxic glues, and protect both humans and microcircuits from radiation's harmful effects.	Helped secure a $900,000 grant from the Department of Defense and a partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that allows Montana Biotech to pursue ground-breaking research.
Hydrometrics, Helena	Designs and manufactures water cleanup technology systems. Recently opened office in Hermosillo, Mexico.	Helped obtain a National Association of State Development Agencies grant, which allows Hydrometrics to offer their environmental technologies to Mexican companies. Used the grant to translate promotional materials into Spanish and strengthen marketing activities.
Positive Systems, Whitefish	Develops airborne systems for geographic imaging of the earth's surface.	Brokered an agreement between Positive Systems and the NASA Stennis Space Center to solve challenges hindering the remote sensing, aerial photography, and satellite imagery industries. The changing sun angle, for example, creates varying intensities in the images that can lead to false interpretation of earth observation data. Positive System's software is expected to solve this problem.
Integrated Geoscience, Inc., Helena	IGI uses geographic information system technology for natural resource management and environmental analysis. The company's unique software recognizes and maps selected features in remotely sensed imagery such as satellite images.	Helped form a cooperative research project with IGI and NASA, which enables both organizations to evaluate IGI's software for NASA's mission-related purposes and co-develop improved software features. Based on successful results of this project, IGI is forming a new company called Visual Learning Systems.
MSE Technology Applications, Inc., Butte	Nationally known for energy-related and environmental technologies, MSE has developed ways to test space engine designs by creating a virtual environment that simulates these engines operating in deep space conditions. Within this virtual environment, engine thrust and efficiency can be measured along with other performance characteristics, which will support NASA's development of the Mars Cargo Vehicle.	Set up agreement enabling MSE to collaborate with NASA on deep space research. This project is expected to help MSE successfully develop and commercialize its advanced propulsion technologies.