Technologies and research prototypes available in demonstration form today are at least one step removed from commercialization. We rely on commercial partners to package the intellectual properties developed by AMI project partners in a form that can then be provided as a stand-alone or network-based technology for commercial use.

When a company expresses interest in conducting an internal evaluation of a technology the AMI project has demonstrated, the parties involved will sign a memorandum of understanding.

The MOU shall include:

• the details of what the technologies provided are and their current state (scientific research demonstrators),

• the fact that the technologies belong to the AMI project and/or the research partner developing it,

• a non-disclosure agreement stating that the company does not have the permission to share it with other companies or interests,

• the terms under which the technology can be used by the requesting company (evaluation only),

• the methodology and criteria which will use for such evaluation,

• the form in which they would like to receive the technology,

• the time frame in which the evaluation will be conducted,

• the requirements of the AMI project in supporting the evaluation and

• the manner in which the results of the evaluation will be communicated to the project.

Feedback from the evaluation must be received in the final phase of this process. Feedback must be in both written (document) and verbal/oral forms. If the feedback is positive and there is an express of commercial interest made, then the AMI partner and the company will engage in a business level dialog to establish mutually beneficial terms.