Sandia California is getting some attention from Bay Area commercial interests in the hopes of developing partnerships that may yield new innovation opportunities.

From April 27-29, Sandia will participate in the second networking event of 2021 put on by the Bay Area Lab Innovation Networking Center, a collaboration between Sandia, Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The LINC project is part of the DOE Office of Technology Transitions program, Practices to Accelerate the Commercialization of Technologies.

The first virtual event in January drew 1,224 registrants, more than half from startup companies. Participants from large and small Bay Area businesses and universities signed up to learn more about how the labs can help provide resources and technical assistance on a variety of potential products and services.

The January LINC networking session received more than 100 questions, many asking how to partner with the labs, as well as dozens of inquiries made directly through the LINC website or another DOE portal seeking help with specific technical challenges.

“LINC’s goal is to increase collaboration between businesses and the national laboratories in the San Francisco Bay Area,” said senior manager Mary Monson. “Businesses can benefit from the funding opportunities, unique facilities and technical expertise found within DOE and the national lab system.”

The LINC event at the end of the month is called “Open the Door to Partnerships” and will feature three short sessions.

The first session on Tuesday, April 27, features information on DOE funding opportunities and guidance on how to access the national lab ecosystem. Vanessa Chan, DOE Chief Commercialization Officer, will be the featured speaker.

The second session the following day will guide attendees through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements and Strategic Partnership Projects, with specific industry examples.

The final session on April 29 will feature ways to use research facilities or work with the Bay Area labs in other ways at no cost. It will also highlight how to connect with the broader complex of 17 national laboratories through the DOE Lab Partnering Service.

Participants can register to attend or get more information about LINC here.