Newport will be the staging area for In-Water and Shoreside demonstrations of blue tech innovations with potential U.S. Navy and commercial applications, from Rhode Island and around the world
Middletown, RI – August 23, 2024 – 401 Tech Bridge, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing innovation and the commercialization of emerging technologies, will present a signature event that promotes advanced maritime technologies and connects innovators to collaborate on shared in-water “missions” demonstrating their capabilities.
BlueTIDE 2024 is a day-long spotlight on blue tech which includes shoreside interactive exhibits, company presentations, two high-tech “command centers” for analyzing mission data, and speeches from proponents of ocean tech innovation such as U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, NavalX Deputy Director Scott Bewley, and Marie Bussiere, Technical Director, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport.
| Erik Brine, 401 Tech Bridge Director, said the event showcases Rhode Island as a destination for its growing blue tech ecosystem and uniquely represents the 401 Tech Bridge mission of fostering innovation, collaboration, and commercialization. Portions of the day will be funded by the Office of Naval Research through NavalX and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in partnership with Northeast Tech Bridge. |
Media Contact: Erin Read; 401-440-8350 cell; eread@polarismep.org IMAGES available on request: BlueTIDE/401 Tech Bridge logos for download; participating company photography |
“While the Navy regularly runs exercises, this demonstration event is being executed outside of the Navy fence lines,” he noted. “This means civilian sector investors and markets can see technologies alongside their military counterparts. It’s a more efficient and effective way for Defense organizations to scout emerging technologies.”
401 Tech Bridge Operations Manager Linda Larsen explained that the way 401 Tech Bridge designed the BlueTIDE 2024 demonstrations lowers barriers for small businesses to participate while also increasing the number of potential customers and partners they meet at one event.
“In preparation for this event, companies have started to partner in ways they never imagined – almost every one of the 18 companies is integrating with at least one other participant to execute their mission,” said Larsen.
The Director went on to say that all of the solutions to be demonstrated represent “dual use technologies,” meaning they have both commercial and defense applications.
For instance, a maritime domain awareness platform from New Zealand’s Starboard Maritime Intelligence combines multiple layers of data to pinpoint where boats are within the ocean and identify what they are – fishing boats, cargo vessels, sailing ships or threats. This would increase maritime safety, an industry projected to grow to $47.8 billion by 2029.
“BlueTIDE 2024 allows us to showcase technologies that increase our capabilities and lower the cost of commerce and defense on the world’s oceans,” said Brine. “We’re seeing inventive and interesting things that mean we can put fewer warfighters in danger and protect civilians.”
Data will be transmitted to two “command centers” at Sail Newport via infrastructure provided by event sponsors IBM, AWS and Verizon.
Attendees from the Department of Defense, venture capital firms, government agencies, industry partners, academia and more will benefit from interactive demonstrations and presentations. Attendance is limited and must be pre-approved due to a variety of considerations and venue capacity.
A schedule for the day can be found at https://401techbridge.org/event/bluetide-2024/.
BlueTIDE Participants Demonstrate Innovations On Land as well as On and Under Water
Eighteen companies from Rhode Island, across the U.S. and as far as New Zealand have formed six teams to participate in BlueTIDE 2024. Each of the teams will tackle a Navy-designed mission scenario.
The bulk of participants will launch from Sail Newport in Fort Adams State Park; a smaller group launches from NUWC’s Narragansett Bay Testing Facility. All of the teams will engage in targeted tasks within four technology areas:
- undersea and multidomain communications,
- digital twin and virtual worlds modeling and simulation,
- persistent monitoring and sensing, and
- autonomous and uncrewed systems.
An additional group of innovators will be featured in a shoreside “Showcase Alley” where attendees can interact with new technologies. A full list of participants can be found at https://401techbridge.org/event/bluetide-2024/.
Brine and Larsen highlighted a few of the companies that were evaluated and selected to participate through previous demonstration days.
- Rhode Island-based HavocAI was founded by a retired Navy commander to develop unmanned surface vehicles. Ideal for low-cost “swarming” to assist in defense, or for data collection over a larger area of the ocean by climate researchers or offshore energy operations.
- Canadian engineering company Enginuity Inc. opened a Middletown, RI location to provide advanced engineering services and products, including high-load connectors that can withstand the worst of ocean conditions.
- Rhode Island’s VATN Systems will deploy their autonomous underwater vehicle, available in different sizes so that it could be tossed off the side of a boat or even dropped from a helicopter for search and sensing operations.
- Norway’s Havguard AS is a dual-use case start-up with a smart underwater communications solution. The technology was inspired by animal behavior; it leverages AI and reduced frequency bands to cause less disturbance on aquatic life.
Havguard AS CEO Emilie Åsberg said the company is thrilled to be included in BlueTIDE 2024. “This is a fantastic chance for us to showcase our innovations at the forefront of underwater technology,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
“We are so proud to be part of this robust tech ecosystem, and want to extend our utmost appreciation for the work and effort carried out by 401 Tech Bridge and the US Navy in Rhode Island,” Åsberg wrote.
About 401 Tech Bridge:
401 Tech Bridge is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing innovation and driving the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies. Through partnerships with industry, academia, and government agencies, 401 Tech Bridge provides collaboration spaces, resources, and access to equipment and funding. Additionally, programming such as tech scouting, tech showcases, experimentation scenarios, and demonstration days further support and enhance this innovation ecosystem.
The 401 Tech Bridge is a business unit of The University of Rhode Island Research Foundation. It receives support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the Office of Naval Research, the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, The Rhode Island Foundation, and the Van Beuren Charitable Foundation.
Learn more at www.401TechBridge.org.
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