Two local organizations working to commercialize technology developed at NASA Glenn Research Center are better than one, according to Northeast Ohio economic development leaders.

That's why NASA Glenn has launched the Glenn Alliance for Technology Exchange, or GATE, a collaboration between the Ohio Aerospace Institute, or OAI, and Battelle Memorial Institute, a research organization based in Columbus.

The new effort will supplement what's already being done in Northeast Ohio by Great Lakes Industrial Technology, known as Glitec, which is operated by Battelle.

NASA Glenn will provide $2 million to operate GATE. Private businesses also have contributed a total of $500,000 and are being asked for an additional $800,000, said Donald Majcher, vice president of Technology and Innovation Partnerships at OAI.

The new organization also seeks an undisclosed sum from the state of Ohio's Third Frontier initiative, he said.

GATE's supporters ''want to put some points on the board'' and demonstrate the program's worth before they get too aggressive in seeking more money, Mr. Majcher said during a recent press conference at NASA Glenn.

Officials who were asked why Northeast Ohio needs two agencies to commercialize space science answered that they expect to get more results by getting help from additional local groups, such as the Ohio Aerospace Institute, a partner to GATE.

''There's so much more you can accomplish through collaboration,'' Mr. Majcher said.

GATE also will focus on Ohio, particularly Northeast Ohio, as opposed to Glitec's mission to aid companies in a six-state region, officials said.

Priscilla Diem, executive director of Glitec, said her agency's statistics show that Glitec generated $44 million over three years in economic development in the region it serves, including sales generated by new products based on NASA Glenn technology and cost savings made possible by such technology. She said $29 million of that was in Ohio.

The goal of GATE will be to increase that figure by 25% to $36.3 million, she said.