The Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) is inviting industry to attend a two-day discourse on mutually beneficial research and development investment in several technologies.
The so-called technical interchange meeting, or TIM, is planned for March 31 to April 1 at CERDEC’s headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
The TIM is an opportunity for industry to learn about CERDEC’s core mission, research and development plans and strategies, CERDEC said in a Jan. 6 statement soliciting participation in the event. Army engineers want to team with industry ever earlier in the development and lifecycle of platforms and systems, before requirements and design concepts are set in stone.
“If we want to leverage creativity and innovation to its fullest, Army R&D must work more closely with industry in the earliest stages of the product lifecycle before requirements are firm and design concepts are determined. The sooner industry knows of our interest in a specific capability, the sooner they can begin to explore or invest in applicable technologies and formulate ideas for Army consideration,” said Henry Muller, CERDEC technical director.
The intent of the sessions will be to enhance Government-and-industry communication and enable industry to quickly respond to emerging requirements with innovative technology solutions and partnerships.
The TIM will provide details that will assist attendees in aligning their organization’s research efforts with CERDEC’s mission areas by articulating technical requirements for high-level capabilities and presenting technology roadmaps and CERDEC’s strategies to support them.
Each TIM day is carved up into several breakout sessions focusing on a specific area of potential investment. They include developing advanced computing platforms, software architectures and visualization systems for mission command; advancing the generation, storage, management and distribution of soldier power and energy in training, moving and sustaining deployed forces and weapons; offensive and defensive tactical cyber capabilities and technologies to allow the control and exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Other sessions will focus on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting, intelligence gathering and analysis; devices and technologies capable of finding and neutralizing improvised explosive devices and landmines and development of secure, mobile battlefield networks.
The March event is intended to kick-off a series of more focused industry engagements that are expected to emerge from a clearer understanding of CERDEC’s research and development direction.
Registration is slated to open Feb. 1 and close Feb. 28. The forum will also be open to academia and other government organizations; however, priority will be given to industry as registration is limited.
Interested participants can visit http://www.cerdec.army.mil to register on or after Feb. 1.