DoD center seeks homeland defense technology

The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology is soliciting industry, government labs and academia for new technologies that can be used in homeland defense, the center announced April 15.The center will supply funds and expertise to winning applicants so they can bring their technologies to a wider market, including the Defense Department and civil homeland security agencies. Applications will be considered until May 15. The center is looking for solutions that will enhance security at borders, critical infrastructure, ports and networks. Defense measures against bioterrorism attacks will also be considered. The center will offer technology holders marketing analysis, assistance in developing a business and independent validation of the technologies. It also will assist in attracting venture capital and future contracts within the defense industry, said Lou Kelly, center chairman. Applications will be reviewed by scientists, engineers, business owners, entrepreneurial support personnel, venture capitalists and university faculty for technical merit, marketability and business potential.The San Diego-based Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology was founded in 2001 to bridge the gap between the Defense Department and the commercial marketplace. It is supported by a $10.8 million, two-year appropriation by Congress, and is overseen by the Defense Department. The center has issued 65 awards worth about $7.5 million to 45 technology companies, university researchers and government labs to develop innovative products. In March, it awarded three organizations $75,000 each to help get their technologies to the marketplace. Advanced Real Time Technologies, a company run by a researcher at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, will work on a monitor that tests for hazardous molecules in real-time. San Diego-based ID Analytics Inc. is working on identity theft technology. And Applied Digital Security Inc. of Chula Vista, Calif., is using the money for a next-generation intrusion detection system that uses satellite communication technology for improved border monitoring. More information, including applications, can be found at http://www.ccatsandiego.org.