Report scopes growth in homeland opportunities

The total U.S. homeland security market in 2005 will account for more than $23.4 billion, or 55 percent, of total estimated global homeland security spending of $42.4 billion, according to a report issued yesterday.

The report published by Civitas Group LLC, a Washington, D.C., advisory and investment services firm, said $16.9 billion of U.S. homeland security spending will come from the federal, state and local and quasi-governmental sectors, while $6.5 billion will be generated by the private sector.

The Homeland Security Department will account for more than $8 billion in government spending in fiscal 2005 ? the same amount as in fiscal 2004 ? if the federal budget is passed by Congress in its present form. This amount constitutes approximately 20 percent of the department's total spending with the balance of funds paying for salaries, overhead, contracts to other government agencies and disbursements to state and local governments.

State and local government spending on homeland security will account for $3.8 billion in 2005, about $2.7 billion of which will come from federal grants, the report said.

The Civitas Group's report estimates that the five-year value of market opportunities across 11 key mission areas for the U.S. homeland security industry will total $115 billion.

The three largest mission areas, according to their breakdowns, are intelligence (24 percent), law enforcement and counterterrorism (20 percent) and emergency preparedness and response (12 percent). The others are bioterrorism prevention, aviation security, cyber-security, physical security, port security, border security, nuclear and radiological prevention and land transport security.

The report also identifies seven key technology areas in the homeland security market. They are: sensor technologies, identification and authentication technologies, screening technologies, surveillance technologies, tracking technologies, data analysis technologies and cyber-security management technologies.

The ranking of the technologies is based on an assessment of their current revenue opportunities, anticipated future revenue opportunities, buyer and market needs, competition and differentiation of technology, lock-in affects, intellectual property protections and privacy implications.

The entire report is available online (registration optional).