Meeting the technical and product needs of all your customers can be very challenging, especially if R&D resources are constrained or you do not have the right in-house expertise to deliver a timely response. A faster technology solution to some of your needs might be found outside of your company, in a university or Federal laboratory, startup company or research institution. In order to find those solutions, you need a plan that includes scouting the technology, understanding its feasibility and status, and developing a collaborative relationship with the right technology partner. Scouting for opportunities outside your company is a process. It starts by clearly defining your needs in a way that any university or startup, unfamiliar with your business, can understand and offer potential solutions. These needs can be grouped into what I refer to as focus areas.