Resumen del autor, extraído del trabajo. Heavy oil resources remain a high-cost and low margin commodity. To achieve competitive advantage companies need technology to either lower their costs and/or increase the value and marketability of the resource. This paper will describe the major technology advances that have been made in the past decade. These advances can provide significant growth prospects for the industry in the 21st century. What is lacking, however, are rational and timely mechanisms to transfer the technology from concept and laboratory testing and simulation to field application and commercialization. The paper will assess the strengths and identify the challenges facing various consortia, forums, technology providers and technology users in selecting, developing and adapting cost-effective technologies and ensuring efficient and effective transfer to field operations.