Speaking before the audience at our GSC event in Washington on Sept 5th, Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary for Science & Technology of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security commented about his philosophy in developing disruptive innovations in security technology:
“To arrive at one revolutionary new technology, you have to plant 1,000 flower seeds, of which you select 100 projects, of which 3 prototypes will be developed that will lead to the George Foreman Grill. I applaud the mission of the Global Security Challenge that understood this principle of fostering innovation and the innovative entrepreneurs who competed in this competition with their high-quality technologies.”
In his presentation the Under Secretary also outlined representative technology needs for Maritime Security:
- Wide-area surveillance from the coast tobeyond the horizon; port and inland waterwaysregion -detect, ID, and track
- Data fusion and automated tools for commandcenter operations
- Vessel compliance through non-lethalcompliance methods
- Enhanced capability to continuously trackcontraband on ships or containers
- Improved ballistic personal protective equipment for officer safety
- Improved WMD detection equipment for officer safety; improved screening capability for WMD for maritime security checkpoints
