Technology can be made more meaningful through a community dialogue, says a top Pacific Northwest National Laboratory official.

Mike Schwenk, PNNL's vice president and director of technology deployment and outreach, said researchers and economic development leaders need to rethink the process of developing technology and bringing it to market.

So far industry, universities and PNNL have used different methods to bring research and development into the marketplace.

That makes it difficult to work together to harness technology for multiple, far-reaching uses, he said.

So Schwenk plans to launch a podcast and blog called "So, What?" in hopes of reaching a wider audience, sparking a debate and provoking a quicker response.

He hopes it'll help people "get in the now."

Schwenk's podcast, which starts June 3, will feature experts talking about the direction homegrown research and development is taking and the results.

He said the key question will be where do they want to go with technology.

Scientists and researchers could harness technology, instead of being pushed by it, to seek specific outcomes that improve lives, he said.

In the Tri-Cities, that approach will pave the way for further enhancement of the research district and economic development.

He said he expects his podcast will bring together scientists, elected officials, public policy makers nonprofit agencies to start a conversation.

"A community of interest will get created around the subject," Schwenk said.

w On the Net: visit http://blog.pnl.gov/so_what