Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this section govern the construction of this chapter.

(a) “Agency” means the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

(b) “California-based foundation” means an organization defined in the Internal Revenue Code as a private foundation, which is incorporated in, and primarily conducts its activities within, the state and receives funding in whole or in substantial part from California-based companies.

(c) “Collaborative research” means technological or scientific research that accelerates existing research toward the commercialization of products, processes, and services, and is conducted jointly or funded jointly by some or all of the following:

(1) The private sector, including intraindustry groups, California-based private foundations, industry associations, and nonprofit cooperative associations.

(2) The federal government.

(3) The state.

(4) Public or private universities, colleges, and laboratories.

(d) “Consortia” means jointly funded or jointly operated nonprofit independent research and development organizations. “Consortia development” means the establishment of consortia to manage and fund a variety of technology transfer projects within a specific technology or industry priority.

(e) “Industry association” is a nonprofit organization with a substantial presence in California whose membership consists in whole or in part of California-based companies, and whose funding is derived in whole or in part from California-based companies.

(f) “Information technology” includes, but is not limited to, all electronic technology systems and services, automated information handling, system design and analysis, conversion of data, computer programming, information storage and retrieval, telecommunications that include voice, video, and data communications, requisite system controls, simulation, electronic commerce, and all related interactions between people and machines.

(g) “Nonprofit cooperative association” means an association, organized and operating pursuant to either Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 54001) of Division 20 of the Food and Agricultural Code or Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code.

(h) “Technology” includes, but is not limited to, the application of science and engineering to research and development, especially for industrial or commercial objectives, in sectors that include telecommunications, information technologies, electronics, biochemistry, medicine, agriculture, transportation, space, and aerospace.

(i) “Technology transfer” means the movement of the results of basic or applied technological or scientific research to the design, development, and production of new or improved products, services, or processes.

(Added by renumbering Section 13994 by Stats. 2015, Ch. 303, Sec. 196. (AB 731) Effective January 1, 2016.)