Partnerships Lead to New Technology

Thursday, 14 August 2008 22:40

Through public and private partnerships built in the Tennessee Valley Corridor, technology developed by the U.S. government will be transferred for manufacturing to the private sector at a licensing agreement signing ceremony. The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) in Oak Ridge developed a new concept in hard-shelter technology that can be used for shelter during a disaster. With the facilitation of The Enterprise Center (TEC), Adaptive Methods is entering into a licensing agreement with Y-12 for Adaptive Methods to manufacture this technology.

“This joint venture takes advantage of the resources available in the Tennessee Valley Corridor and is a model of successful technology transfer,” said Congressman Zach Wamp. “Public-private partnerships, such as the strategic partnerships among Y-12, Adaptive Methods and The Enterprise Center, will help move technology created by the government to the marketplace while increasing our manufacturing sector in the Corridor.”

The Rapid Deployment Shelter System (RDSS) technology developed at Y-12 at the request of the U.S. Army is a compact, portable disaster shelter that can be deployed around the world for aid in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Designed to military specifications, RDSS would unfold from a 20-foot standard shipping size container into a 400-square-foot shelter. Several advanced technology innovations have been designed into the shelter system including the ability of the RDSS to be deployed in the field by one person in less than two minutes and the ability for the shelter system to be transported in highly mobile unit sizes via truck, train, ship, plane or helicopter. For instance, the shelter can be airdropped on dry land at the point of a Katrina-like event even before all surrounding flood waters have subsided. The technology was named one of the “R&D 100 Awards for 2007” by R&D Magazine, which recognizes the 100 most significant proven technological advances of the year.

“We went into this project with a great sense of urgency and commitment because we knew that our work could mean the difference in the life or death of one of our American soldiers,” said Lee Bzorgi, Y-12's Senior Technical Advisor who invented the RDSS.

Adaptive Methods will have sole commercial licensing of the RDSS and this system will be the company’s launch into volume manufacturing. The RDSS units will be produced in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Adaptive Methods expects to employ more than 100 engineers and production personnel over the next four years. Future RDSS configurations planned include decontamination units, shower stations, latrine facilities and medical triage centers for disaster relief.

The initiation of the RDSS project is a success for all the parties on several fronts. It marks the first, completed facilitation of a technology transfer project for The Enterprise Center, and under the terms of the licensing agreement, Adaptive Methods will be paying future royalties to Y-12 and TEC for the use of the technology. The agreement between the parties also initiates what promises to be a successful launch of a long-term science and technology based working relationship between Y-12 and TEC.

TEC has been a facilitator in connecting Adaptive Methods to various technology enterprises in the Tennessee Valley Corridor. After introducing Adaptive Methods to Y-12, TEC assisted in identifying sources of funding and potential markets for available technologies and continues to initiate contacts within those markets.

“This success was made possible by the visionary leadership of Congressman Zach Wamp whose support for regional technology-based economic development is key to the creation of these jobs,” said J. Wayne Cropp, president and CEO of  TEC. “We have also had tremendous support from the City of Chattanooga, Mayor Ron Littlefield, Hamilton County Government and Mayor Claude Ramsey, as well as from our economic development partner, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. Working together, we continue to create a community that is attractive to business and industry for the science and technology based jobs of the future.”

About Y-12 National Security Complex
Y-12 is a key facility in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex and is responsible for ensuring the safety, reliability and security of the nuclear weapons stockpile and serves as the nation’s primary repository of highly enriched uranium. B&W Technical Services Y-12 operates the Y-12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

About Adaptive Methods, Inc.
Adaptive Methods, Inc. is a developer of advanced sensor processing and computing architecture products for surveillance, security and military combat systems. Adaptive Methods, Inc. headquarters is in Centreville, VA with offices in Rockville, MD; Chattanooga, TN; and Clearwater, FL. For additional information, please send an email to RDSS@adaptivemethods.com.

About The Enterprise Center, Inc.
Created in 2002 by then Mayor and now U. S. Senator Bob Corker, The Enterprise Center, Inc. promotes collaboration, accountability and communications for a variety of local technology-related growth initiatives in the Chattanooga area. Its mission is to support and capitalize on new research and technologies and work closely with local entities in the quest to develop a knowledge-based economy. Through partnerships, The Enterprise Center connects local entrepreneurs, business and industry to national laboratories, research universities and federal research-oriented programs. The Enterprise Center is a private, not-for-profit corporation. For more information, contact The Enterprise Center at (423) 425-3770 or visit http://www.chattanooga.gov/138_1863.

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