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Choosing to Lead: The Race for National R&D Leadership and New Economy Jobs R&D Breakfast e-Newsletter October 2004 |
 R&D Breakfast Briefing Highlights Need for Partnering Speaker Edmund Woollen Stresses Interdisciplinary Approach Edmund Woollen, vice president of homeland security business development and marketing for Raytheon Company, outlined the science and technology challenges involved in protecting the nation against terrorist attacks. Opportunities exist in several areas such as cyber security, suicide bomber detection, and organization of a unified incident command and decision support system for first responders and critical infrastructure. >LEAD STORY read more Panel Presents Opportunities for Collaboration Homeland security, particularly as applied to the protection of ports and harbors, stands as one emerging opportunity for the Commonwealth’s ocean technology community. >read more R&D Breakfast Briefing Series continues on November 9 Special Guest: Dr. Mel Bernstein, Director of University Programs for the Department of Homeland Security, will speak on important issues surrounding homeland security initiatives and the university community. Photo Highlights and Presentations from October
6 R&D Breakfast Briefing at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault Speaker Edmund Woollen Stresses Interdisciplinary Approach Mass Insight Corporation’s October 6th R&D breakfast, hosted by Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault and sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts, and MassDevelopment, focused on homeland security and ocean technologies. In both cases, meeting the technical challenges demands interdisciplinary thinking through R&D strategic alliances that involve universities and industry. Edmund Woollen, vice president of homeland security business development and marketing for Raytheon Company, outlined the science and technology challenges involved in protecting the nation against terrorist attacks. Opportunities exist in several areas such as cyber security, suicide bomber detection, and organization of a unified incident command and decision support system for first responders and critical infrastructure. Many of those solutions will come from small organizations, Woollen said, while large companies such as his own will act more as system integrators. He also pointed out that the challenge of ensuring homeland security differs significantly from those of the past. “This is not a Cold War-style problem,” he said. “This is newthink. It lends itself to interdisciplinary centers in universities – with people who have a visceral understanding of the needs because they have been under fire.” Woollen also commented that the Mass Insight/Batelle report released earlier this year could “function as a road map leading to the kind of R&D strategic alliances that are needed now.” Cost may not matter. The Department of Homeland Security has $1.2 billion in FY 2005, with more likely to come in FY 2006. “Present them with good ideas and money isn’t the issue,” Woollen advised. However, organizations must take a different approach to promoting their solutions. “Homeland Security thinks about the problem, not the technology,” Woollen explained. “You must tell them how your technology helps to stop the bomb.” Panel Presents Opportunities for CollaborationHomeland security, particularly as applied to the protection of ports and harbors, stands as one emerging opportunity for the Commonwealth’s ocean technology community. Others enumerated by Louis Goodman, professor in The School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and research director at the inter-campus University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, include the transition of technology developed by the Navy to applications in fisheries and environmental protection; renewable energy; tourism; educational outreach; media and entertainment; and studies of the impact of the marine environment on human health. Goodman’s advice for institutions seeking to fund work in those fields and more traditional areas such as offshore exploration of oil and gas, fisheries management, and ocean observatories: “Don’t go after single funds alone. We need to bring organizations together to create the infrastructure.” The Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, offers partnering opportunities. “NUWC is not directly funded; it has to compete for funds with Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and similar companies, and to collaborate with them,” said technology transfer manager Theresa Baus. Technologies under study at the Center include sensors, with potential application in protecting harbors and systems for information analysis and information display. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution also has research projects with potential for commercial exploitation. Autonomous underwater vehicles, sensors, defense applications, and marine monitoring technologies could contribute to defense and homeland security, according to executive vice president and director of research James Luyten. The take home point of the briefing concerned the need for collaboration. “We have plenty of talent in New England in the ocean,” said William Walsh, president and chief executive officer of Sippican, Inc. “What we have to do as a group is organize around the problem, define the problem, and find a way to affect it.” October 6 Breakfast Briefing at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault Over 60 participants gathered at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault and heard from presenters including William Walsh, Edmund Woollen, Theresa Baus, Louis Goodman and James Luyten. Click below for presentations and handouts: Dr. Theresa Baus, Technology Transfer Manager, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport James Luyten (not available at this time) William Walsh, President & CEO, Sippican, Inc. U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Blueprint for the 21st Century (Executive Summary) National Academies Exploration of the Seas (Report in Brief)
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Mass Insight Partners with Mass High Tech Newspaper for Special R&D Reports Mass Insight is collaborating with Mass High Tech newspaper,
read by over 50,000 technology decision makers every week, on four special
technology center sections in Mass High Tech which will parallel the Road
Map strategic alliance partnerships being developed by industry and university
leaders. For advertising information, contact Jill Cohen, Advertising Director, Mass High Tech at 617-241-4360 or jcohen@masshightech.com or click here for more information on the special report series. $12.4 million NSF grant for the new Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center In September, the National Science Foundation awarded
a $12.4 million grant for a nanoscale science and engineering center to
be headquartered at Northeastern University. Northeastern University will
partner with the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, the University of
New Hampshire, and Michigan State University to develop novel high-rate/high-volume,
precise nanomanufacturing techniques. The techniques developed through
this collaboration are expected to have an effect upon the electronic,
medical and automotive industries. While working towards these goals,
the center will also evaluate the environmental, economic, regulatory,
and ethical impacts of nanomanufacturing. The project will be led by Northeastern
professor Ahmed Busnaina. About working collaboratively with other universities
on this project, Professor Busnaina said, "To successfully achieve our
goals in nanomanufacturing, we need to put all our skills together." Nanotechnology at Northeastern Seminar on Tuesday, October 19 Northeastern University recently announced an ambitious
Academic Investment plan that includes expansion of current research strengths
in several areas, including Nanotechnology. As a part of this effort,
Northeastern has organized a special program, to be hosted by Provost
Ahmed Abdelal and President Richard Freeland, on Tuesday, October 19th,
2004. "Nanotechnology at Northeastern" will highlight current research
in the areas of nanomanufactuing, nanomaterials, and nanomedicine. Choosing to Lead Breakfast Series Be sure to join us for the next Choosing to Lead breakfast to be held November 9, 2004. Watch your mail for more information or contact insight@massinsight.com. Sponsors of Mass Insight's R&D Breakfast Series and the R&D Strategic Alliances Clearinghouse:
Two years ago, in the midst of an economic downturn,
a group of industry, teaching hospital, and university leaders organized
by Mass Insight at the Boston Foundation met to discuss how to cooperate
to bring business to Massachusetts. That group, and the Science & Technology
Initiative that resulted, supported the passage of the economic stimulus
package now poised to fuel job growth through strategic projects joining
industry, universities and teaching hospitals. In parallel, the group
organized the Technology Road Map study.
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©2004 Mass Insight Corporation, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 930, Boston, MA 02108. Mass Insight Corporation organizes leadership groups and facilitates public-private initiatives to improve state performance on issues that have a significant economic impact on Massachusetts. To be removed from this distribution list, please send an email to insight@massinsight.com. |
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