Year
2000
Abstract
Numerous efforts are currently in place to foster defense conversion and commercialization in the former Soviet Union. From the “Swords-to-Plowshares-to- Rubles” program led by Sandia National Laboratories to the Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI) and the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP) programs of the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. efforts are widespread to help Russia provide new employment to displaced workers due to the downsizing of the Russian nuclear weapons complex. These efforts largely focus on fostering technology commercialization opportunities in the former Soviet Union. This paper examines lessons-learned from similar efforts toward defense conversion in South Africa. Specifically, a former secret nuclear weapons manufacturing site, Kentron Circle facility, was converted into a commercial facility, Advena Central Laboratories, after the South African government abandoned the nuclear weapons program in 1989. Similar to the current efforts taking place in the former Soviet Union, a key part of the South African commercialization strategy was to prevent their highlyskilled workforce from leaving the country, thereby reducing the likelihood that highly skilled personnel with sensitive know-how would sell their services abroad2. Although Advena offered high-tech products for the aerospace, mining, and medical industries, the commercialization effort failed and the workforce dispersed. This paper explores potential factors leading to Advena’s unsuccessful commercialization, drawing similarities to current FSU commercialization efforts. This paper also offers suggestions for existing and future commercialization efforts, such as the importance of partnering/mentoring relationships in sharing sales and business-related lessons as they apply to the emerging Russian marketplace.