Alan O'Connor

Alan C. O'Connor is a senior economist and the director of innovation economics at RTI. Mr. O'Connor's core research practice consists of benefit-cost analyses and program evaluations for R&D organizations, government, and supporters of regional innovation systems. He works with a variety of clients, active in or supporting different phases of the innovation cycle, including NIST, DOE, CDC, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation as well as myriad regional governments. The unifying theme of his research is the role of public funding and public-private partnership in catalyzing and accelerating innovation to overcome technical and market barriers to socially optimal outcomes. His research interests include renewable energy, medical imaging, technical infrastructure and standardization, immunization technology, start-up company support, and advanced manufacturing.