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Wars on Terror, in Iraq Speed up Local Innovation (Mass High Tech News)
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10/10/2005 07:15 AM
By Efrain Viscarolasaga
While the popularity of the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism continues to spur emotionally charged debate, the federal government’s actions here and abroad are proving to be high-growth opportunities for many local companies — and not just from incumbent defense and weaponry contracts.
Platforms including robotics, communications and information technology are seeing significant deals as well.
For example, on the same day Waltham missile maker Raytheon Co. added a $180 million U.S. Department of Defense contract to a string of other agreements with government agencies, the Photonics Center at Boston University — in conjunction with iRobot Inc. of Burlington, Insight Technology Inc. of Londonderry N.H. and BioMimetic Systems of Boston — introduced a tactical sensory system prototype dubbed REDOWL. The system is a cutting-edge piece of technology and an example of the kind of cooperation and innovation being inspired by the need for new technologies in the war in Iraq.
“A lot of the efforts that have been going on in universities are focusing on bringing technologies into practical applications,” said Glenn Thoren, director of project REDOWL and deputy director of the Photonics Center at Boston University. “Their focus and our focus is on making research real.”
And BU is not the only example. Under the shadow of the defense giant, several local companies have been landing significant deals that are bringing cash into the state, generating jobs and encouraging innovation.
American Science and Engineering Inc. of Billerica has been selling its Z Backscatter bomb-detecting vans to customers for more than two years. In August, the company won an “indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity” contract from the U.S. government, with first delivery calling for 32 vans totaling $38.6 million. Additional orders bring the total of announced sales to more than $80 million since the start of 2005.
While AS&E was unwilling to comment, the company did announce two weeks ago a new line of vehicle-inspection systems, called the OmniView Gantry, designed to inspect vehicles for hidden explosives, plastic weapons, drugs and other materials.
Last week, Paradigm Tactical Products Inc. of Georgetown signed a contract for an undisclosed amount with the U.S. Cavalry to sell the patented FriskerPro hand-worn metal detector.
Weaponry and security technologies certainly lead the way in innovation, but other industries are benefiting from the new market in Iraq. Last spring, during a conference in Boston, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency deputy director Jane Alexander encouraged companies to work together to bring useful products to fruition quickly. The REDOWL project and Thoren’s comments reflect the ongoing theme of cooperation and practical innovation.
“The very real and operational pressures being put on the military is putting more pressure on technological advancements than would be during peace time,” said Pierre Chao, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. “This is going to speed innovation.”
That innovation is also bringing capital to the region. Massachusetts has a strong defense industry and with Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford and the Natick Soldier Systems Center remaining open, it will continue to be an integral part of the economic ecosystem, experts said.
“I don’t think it is well-known enough how important the defense industry is to the state’s economy,” said Cort Boulanger, vice president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council.
Such examples include Burlington’s Ezeni
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