CCAT Awards More Grants to Develop Homeland
Security Technologies
SAN
DIEGO, CA (August 26, 2002) -- The Center for Commercialization
of Advanced Technology (CCAT) announces the winners of
three 2002 solicitations. The solicitations were executed
in 2002 in the following categories: 1. High Technology,
2. Life Science and 3. University and Research Institutions.
The winners, all from the San Diego area, successfully
presented technologies deemed to be useful in aiding in
homeland security. CCAT's panel of experts, as well as
the CCAT board of directors, chose the below winners from
a combined group of more than 50 applicants.
High Technology Solicitation, February 2002:
Applied Photonics was awarded market study services
for Image Recognition and Identification Sensor (IRIS),
a portable system to identify patterns in faces, fingerprints,
license plates, etc.
Del Mar Ventures was awarded $75,000 for the prototype
development of a portable device used to detect explosives
using a technology known as neutron detection.
Orincon
was awarded business plan services for a software security
system designed to recognize insider activities that compromise
information systems.
Polexis
was awarded $75,000 for the prototype development of Vigilys,
a software program that allows federal, state and local
agencies to collaborate prior to, during and after a crisis.
Universal Dialog was awarded market study services
for a software program developed for cross-language information
extraction.
University
of California, San Diego, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Prof. Mohan M. Trivedi was awarded
$75,000 for research and development as well as market
study services, for Digital Televiewer, a product for
streaming customized video from remote crisis sites to
multiple observers.
Life Sciences Solicitation, April
2002:
Applied Gene Technologies was
awarded $75,000 for research and development as well as
market study services, for anthrax detection kit, which
uses their patented Tessa Array Technologyä.
The Xenerex Biosciences subsidiary
of Avanir Pharmaceuticals was awarded $75,000 for
research and development as well as market study services,
for a product that treats exposure to anthrax. Avanir
describes the product as creating fully human monoclonal
antibodies to treat anthrax toxins.
University and Research Institutions
Solicitation, June 2002:
University
of California, San Diego, Department of Bioengineering,
Prof. Lanping Amy Sung was awarded market study
services for a biotechnology capable of converting seawater
to drinkable water.
University of California, San Diego,
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Prof. Juan Lasheras and Dr. Nathan Delson were
awarded $75,000 for research and development as well as
market study services, for low cost, legged robots.
University of California, San Diego,
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
Prof. Sergei Krasheninnikov was awarded $75,000
for research and development as well as market study services,
for a diffraction optics technology for high power lasers.
"The variety of awardees demonstrates
how many of San Diego's emerging technologies can be applied
to homeland security," says Abigail Barrow, managing director,
von Liebig Center, Jacobs School of Engineering, UCSD
and CCAT board member. "We're pleased that CCAT can help
accelerate the development of these crucial technologies."
The CCAT -- supported by a $5.2 million
two-year appropriation by Congress and funded by the Department
of Defense -- is a public-private collaborative partnership
between academia, industry, and government. Partners include
San Diego State University (SDSU) Foundation and Entrepreneurial
Management Center, the University of California, San Diego
(UCSD) Jacobs School of Engineering and UCSD CONNECT,
and ORINCON Corporation International with support from
the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego.
The consortium-style CCAT intends to bridge the gap that
exists between the generators of technology, the Department
of Defense and the commercial marketplace. Full
story
Media Contacts:
Barry Janov, (619) 594-4524 ; Sarah
Huyett Benson (858) 622-5714
