Defense Patent Holiday Industry Day

Defense Patent Holiday Industry Day

July 14-15, 2026

In Person and Virtual

Hosted by

 

Realizing the ROI: Turning Government Patents into Commercial Opportunities

Join a microelectronics industry-focused session on the Defense Patent Holiday initiative and learn how no-fee Commercial Evaluation Licenses can help companies assess, validate, and commercialize select technologies from defense laboratories.

• Learn about the other Department resources being aligned to support licensees, such as special topic SBIRs, Venture Studios, and Office of Strategic Capital Loan Programs
• Tour the NextFlex Advanced Manufacturing Facility to see how Department of War manufacturing innovation institutes can support product prototyping and manufacturing scale-up.

 

About

The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) has launched the Defense Patent Holiday, a new pilot program designed to accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough defense technologies from the lab to the warfighter.

This first-of-its-kind initiative offers qualified companies no-fee Commercial Evaluation Licenses (CELs) for a limited time, providing industry partners unprecedented access to government intellectual property. CELs give companies the unique opportunity to assess the defense patent, market, and consider the commercial potential of defense R&D.

 

Reserve Your Spot by July 13, 2026 @ 5:00 pm Pacific

Registration is required for all participants, both virtual and in-person. Due to venue capacity, in-person registration is limited to the first 100 registrants

 

Event Snapshot

Date: July 14-15, 2026
Location: NextFlex, 2244 Blach Place, San Jose, CA 95131. Virtual attendees will be hosted on Zoom Webinar
Audience: Senior leaders from DoW, industry, investors, technologists, researchers, commercialization partners and capital partners
Format: Briefings, patent overview, partner pathway, and Q&A

 

A faster, lower-friction path from lab discovery to market impact.

The Defense Patent Holiday initiative is designed to lower early barriers for companies to evaluate government-developed intellectual property and speed promising technologies toward commercial and operational use.

• No-fee evaluation access — Assess selected patents through Commercial Evaluation Licenses without the usual upfront costs during the evaluation window.
• “Try before you buy” — Use the evaluation period to understand technical fit, market potential, business case, and scale-up requirements.
• Direct innovation pathway — Connect with a clearer licensing route intended to transition breakthrough technologies from defense labs to industry and the warfighter.

 

How the Opportunity Works

Use this event to learn details on the process and advantages of leveraging U.S. government IP.

Step 1: Access available patents — Browse the curated set of technologies included in the Defense Patent Holiday pilot.

Step 2: Identify fit — Match patent opportunities to your product roadmap, customer demand, or investment thesis.

Step 3: Evaluate commercially — Apply for a CEL to assess technical, market, business, and scale-up potential.

Step 4: Plan the transition — Engage licensing and partnership pathways to move high-potential technology toward deployment.

 

“A clear path to move technology from the lab into the hands of the American warfighter and the American consumer.”
— Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael

Read an update from the Assistant Secretary of War for Research and Engineering.

FAQs

 

FAQ 1:

Q: What is a Commercial Evaluation License?
A: A CEL lets a licensee evaluate a patent’s technical, market, and business potential, including potential scale-up challenges.

 

FAQ 2:

Q: Why is this called a Patent Holiday?
A: The pilot provides access to no-fee evaluation licenses during a defined period, helping companies explore opportunities before committing to a longer-term license.

 

FAQ 3:

Q: Who should attend?
A: Companies, investors, entrepreneurs, technology transition teams, and commercialization partners interested in moving defense lab technologies toward market or operational use.

 

Ready to evaluate what’s possible?

Register for the microelectronics-focused Defense Patent Holiday Industry Day to learn about available patent opportunities, no-fee CEL access, and the pathway from lab technology to real-world impact.