Smart Cities Initiative Poised to Break the Commercialization Barrier

News Release: Smart Cities Initiative Poised to Break the Commercialization Barrier

WASHINGTON – Eight technology developers are readying Smart Cities prototype technologies for the commercial marketplace in Phase Two of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs program.

DHS S&T and its SCITI Labs innovation partners, Center for Innovative Technology, TechNexus and Smart City Works, have been working with the companies to develop and field-test prototype technologies in three capability areas:  unmanned aerial systems (UAS), in-building sensors, and a communications SmartHub. Over the next 12 months, technologies will be evaluated with first responders, DHS operational components, and private sector partners in search-and-rescue and soft-target scenarios.  Further, Phase Two will take a “commercial first” approach, accelerating companies with private sector traction by implementing a streamlined commercialization process, yielding solutions in the market that are affordable and scalable.

The eight technology developers are:

• Airgility, Inc., Reston, Virginia (UAS)
• Third Insight, Austin, Texas (UAS)
• One Engineering, LLC, Monument, Colorado (UAS)
• EcoDomus, Inc., San Francisco, California (Sensors)
• Mutualink, Inc., Wallingford, Connecticut (Sensors)
• Datakwip Holdings, LLC, Frederick, Maryland (Sensors)
• Coolfire Solutions, St. Louis, Missouri (SmartHub)
• Excession Technologies Ltd., London, United Kingdom (SmartHub)

“SCITI Labs and the commercial-first approach allow DHS to integrate and apply new prototype technologies from various industry segments into the public safety arena.  These innovations will be applied to meet the needs of DHS component and first responder stakeholders, as well as private sector partners that are often the key to commercial adoption for areas like critical infrastructure,” said Jeff Booth, the SCITI Labs lead at S&T.  “This process provides an ‘integrate-test-apply’ development and deployment approach to the much-needed mission capabilities to help meet homeland security needs.”

The SCITI Labs team will continue to work with these technology developers and innovators, as well as government agencies, public safety officials, infrastructure owners and private sector investment partners, to further design, develop, and operationally test and evaluate these capabilities to ready them for adoption and commercialization.  

For more information about SCITI Labs, please visit https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/st-smart-city-internet-things-innovation-sciti-labs or contact first.responder@hq.dhs.gov.