Going from invention to product or service has never been easy. With the increasing complexity of opportunities, many vital innovations can only be developed with partners. Such collaborations face challenges of culture, trust, and geography. Innovation Passport: The IBM First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Journey from Research to Reality tells the story of the IBM First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) program. Over the last 14 years, IBM has taken hundreds of research assets and road tested them with its most valued clients. The FOAK program has stepped up to the demands of combining teams, often from different countries, to refine and tune inventions. At each step, commercialization remains a focus so that successful projects lead to successful offerings. Readers will be able to follow the time-tested FOAK process. They'll also get tips, guidance and caveats. For those who want to better understand technology transfer and how to make it happen, this is the book.