The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering has introduced a pilot program designed to accelerate the transition of defense technologies from the laboratory to warfighters.
Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael will participate in a fireside chat at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit. Reserve your spot at this Jan. 29 event, which will feature senior defense and industry leaders discussing strategies to advance defense innovation.
The office said Thursday the Defense Patent Holiday program aims to provide qualified companies with access to a select group of patents from defense labs through no-fee commercial evaluation licenses, or CEL.
The initiative aims to simplify the patent licensing process tied to the Department of War’s $3.5 billion annual research investment to help industry partners speed up the commercialization of defense capabilities.
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What Did Emil Michael Say About the Defense Patent Holiday Program?
Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering, said DOW’s intellectual property represents a significant asset. He also highlighted the need to apply industry practices to speed up tech delivery.
“We want to provide the innovators in industry a clear path to move technology from the lab into the hands of the American warfighter and the American consumer,” said Michael. “This ‘Patent Holiday’ program is the start of a new era of collaboration.”
What Is a Commercial Evaluation License?
A CEL is a special agreement that allows a company to evaluate a patented technology’s technical performance, market potential and business viability. Under the Defense Patent Holiday, CELs are offered at no cost for a two-year period.
During the evaluation period, companies can test and integrate technologies into research and development efforts and assess scale-up challenges without incurring upfront licensing costs.
How Does the Two-Part Defense Patent Holiday Program Work?
According to Breaking Defense, the Defense Patent Holiday is being implemented in two phases.
Step one makes approximately 400 selected patents available online for a free trial period of two years. Any company interested in evaluating one of these technologies for use in its products or research and development efforts can apply for a no-fee CEL.
Currently underway, the second step focuses on consolidating the department’s broader patent portfolio. The effort aims to place thousands of patents from all 216 defense labs into a single, searchable database. This database will be built using the public-private partnership TechLink and the interagency iEdison system.
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