The report from the U.S. Department of Commerces Office of Technology Policy suggests that federal laboratories ability to contribute to local economic development efforts may depend most on the quality of technical and business assistance they can offer. The report concludes that fostering maturation and commercialization of federal lab technologies through business and technical assistance and entrepreneurial programs adds value to lab technologies.
Link
http://www.technology.gov/reports/TechPolicy/Partners-2003.pdf