Savannah River National Laboratory & 3D Systems Sign Nuclear CRADA

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) are deals between US federal organizations and other entities. The latter group most often includes private companies, as the primary purpose of CRADAs is to speed up commercialization via tech transfer. Once a CRADA has been established between a company and a government entity, the parties to the contract can share IP, staff, equipment, and facilities, and the companies involved can file patents based on the results from the joint research.

CRADAs in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratories system saw a drastic decline in the first couple decades of the 21st century, but they seem to be making a comeback. In 2024, Sandia National Laboratories signed the second-highest number of CRADAs in a single year in its history.