NEW ORLEANS –
The Gulf Coast Tech Bridge (GCTB), in partnership with NavalX and the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC LANT), stood up the Bayou Tech Node (BTN) last July with the goal of sourcing commercial technology and solutions to solve naval challenges faster.
The GCTB is a strategic partnership between the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), Naval Research Laboratory – Stennis (NRL), NIWC LANT, and the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC). This collaboration encompasses the full spectrum of activities in the littoral and marine battlespace, from basic research and development to fleet operational support and maintenance. This effort also acts as the Gulf Coast region's super connector between government, industry, and academia to address critical Naval challenges.
“With NIWC Atlantic's presence in downtown New Orleans, establishing the Tech Node will serve as a force multiplier for GCTB efforts, with their focus honed in on applied AI [artificial intelligence]/ML[machine learning], meteorology, data analytics, sensing/prediction, uncrewed systems, and coastal/ocean sciences,” said Cmdr. Andres Otero, Bayou Tech Node director and officer in charge at NIWC LANT New Orleans. “The academic and industrial ecosystem of the Louisiana area is ripe with innovation in both organizations' technical focus areas and we’re thrilled with the collaboration and partnership that will grow through our combined efforts.”
Tech Bridges and Tech Nodes are designed to expedite the development and deployment of technologies that directly address the operational needs of sailors and marines. By forging strong connections between businesses, universities, and the Navy, these initiatives accelerate the resolution of technology challenges and ensure the timely fulfillment of critical regional and national defense requirements.
“The launch of the Bayou Tech Node underscores NavalX’s dedication to connecting the needs of the Navy with small business innovators and entrepreneurs who are driving technological advancement across the country,” said Capt. Joel Uzarski, director of NavalX. “By tapping into the growing innovation ecosystem in the New Orleans region, we are creating new pathways for collaboration between the Department of the Navy and regional talent, helping enable the acceleration and delivery of solutions and advanced capabilities to the fleet and force.”
The BTN and GCTB partnership amplifies the NavalX Tech Bridge network's impact by maximizing collaborative workshops, problem-solving events, and specialized tools. This synergy streamlines technology scouting and community engagement, resulting in faster delivery of vital technologies to Naval Forces and driving robust economic growth throughout the Gulf Coast region.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Bayou Tech Node to the Gulf Coast Tech Bridge. This expansion of the NavalX family locally strengthens our collective mission to deliver cutting-edge capabilities to the fleet by leveraging the extraordinary innovation ecosystem in Louisiana,” said Paige George, Gulf Coast Tech Bridge director. “We highly anticipate augmenting our efforts with their unique expertise in battlespace connectivity, robotics and autonomous systems, non-kinetic effects, battlespace command and control, and decision intelligence, creating a force-multiplying partnership that will accelerate solutions for the warfighter.”
Dr. Jason McKenna, chief technology officer at CNMOC, said the partnership will provide a sustained operational advantage.
“I look forward to partnering with the Bayou Tech Node to help ensure a sustained operational advantage for the fleet and joint forces,” said McKenna. “Their complimentary focus areas to CNMOC, NRL and NSWC PCD will strengthen our collective ability to help deliver the real-time, actionable battlespace environmental intelligence that will enable access, maximize our maneuver space, and increase lethality in contested maritime environments.”
For more information on the Gulf Coast Tech Bridge and Bayou Tech Node, visit https://navalx.nre.navy.mil/s/tech-bridges.