Mortar Board Aims to Get Technology Research Into the Marketplace

In an effort to spur the transfer of technology from Southern California research centers to the private sector, the nonprofit regional technology alliance Larta will inaugurate a new program today called Mortar Board.

Universities, corporate research centers and others participating in Mortar Board will gain access to Larta’s entrepreneurial programs and its bimonthly showcases for venture capitalists. Financial terms for each partnership will be determined individually.

Mortar Board’s first strategic partner is Rockwell Science Center in Thousand Oaks. The research center develops technologies for electronics, optics, imaging, computation and other areas. Rockwell is a Larta sponsor.

“For years now, many people in the Southland have felt that the technology transfer process has been very weak,” said Victor Hwang, chief operating officer of Los Angeles-based Larta. “Mortar Board is a springboard for R&D; technologies to get into the marketplace.”