b'CO*STAR CO*STAR was developed in Silicon Valley, but it has proven to betechnologies can dramatically change the marketplace and a useful business model worldwide . An acronym that stands forprovide new ideas .Customer, Opportunity, Solution, Team, Advantage, Results, theWorkshops involve introducing employees to the CO*STAR program is giving a boost to technological innovation at INL . method, followed by a Rapid Idea Improvement Session (RIIS), CO*STAR propositions require innovators to answer sixwhich allows the participants to engage in constructive feedback fundamental questions about their technology, according tosessions with each other to better develop their ideas . The the six letters of the acronym . Who is the customer, and what isresearchers pitch their ideas to other attendees undergoing their unmet need? What is the opportunity? What technologythe CO*STAR and RIIS programs . Everyone in the room has a or program is being provided as a solution? Who needs to be onspecific role: Some of the researchers act as the ideas biggest the team? What is the competitive advantage? What results willchampion, while some give pointers on how to improve . Others you achieve? act as customers and sponsors for the product . After a 10-minute The overall goal of CO*STAR is to ensure that every productpitch, these researchersfulfilling their specific rolesgive developed at INL is the best possible version of itself . Itconstructive feedback to further develop the idea .challenges inventors and researchers to think about the long- So far, 383 employees and subcontractors have been trained in term impact of their products and the way in which theseCO*STAR . Nearly 400 INL employees and subcontractors have been trained in CO*STAR.14'