Defense-related research and technology on display at national conference
FIU researchers and advocates made their presence known at the largest annual defense-technology conference in the country. The Association of the United States Army, a private organization, held the conference and exposition in Washington, D.C., to bring together more than 30,000 attendees from 80 countries for three days of meetings, discussions and briefings.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is one of FIU’s largest funders, and the university took the opportunity to showcase its most promising projects. The federal agency in fiscal year 2024 invested more than $43 million dollars in leading-edge research such as high-bandwidth “foldable” antennas, explosive-detection systems and additive manufacturing, among others.
“This conference's scale and collaborative spirit were unparalleled,” said Stavros Georgakopoulos, a professor at the College of Engineering & Computing who leads the University’s Transforming Antennas Center. “Our conversations with industry and defense department officials were a great chance to continue a longer-term dialogue aiming to further advance the commercial readiness of the university’s technologies.” Georgakopoulos personally met with officials at dozens of companies such as Boeing, Teledyne and Northup Grumman to explore commercial possibilities.
Georgakopoulos’ research is focused on reconfigurable antennas that can be compacted to easily carry into the field of battle or even outer space. They feature high bandwidth capacity to channel large amounts of data through 6G, wireless technology. The work contributes to improving communications so that the intelligence community can better prepare for and defend against security threats.
“The university’s presence at the conference is important,” said Brian Fonseca, director of the Gordon Institute of Public Policy, which promotes and advances the study of public policy and national security studies. “Considering we can leverage the amazing talents of our students and graduates and promote research funded by the DoD, we look forward to greater success for our faculty and young alumni professionals working in the area of defense.”
FIU technologies were featured in a 30-second video at the convention hall, which current students interning and studying in the nation’s capital had a chance to visit as part of their FIU experience.
Contributing to the week’s activities, among them a reception with alumni working in the defense industry, was Mia Rodriguez, a senior political science major, Honors College and current Hamilton Scholar in FIU’s center on Capitol Hill.
This semester, Rodriguez served as an intern at the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and interacted with the 31 designated U.S. technology hubs currently funded by the agency, among them the South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub, of which FIU is a leader. The exposure provided important insight into the relationships and work necessary to bring university research to the commercial stage, Rodriguez says. That knowledge allowed Rodriguez to capitalize on Georgakopolous’ preliminary discussions at the conference by arranging follow-up meetings for him with the Defense Innovation Unit, the National Security Innovation Network, and the DoD Office of Small Business.
“This experience has helped me better understand how to harness connections within the private sector and see what role the federal government could play in FIU’s commercialization to better facilitate a public-private partnership that both advances FIU research and stimulates economic growth,” Rodriguez said.
Beyond funding specific projects (see below), FIU and the DoD have in place a formal yet flexible agreement that allows for additional collaboration, valued at up to $360 million, in areas that include analytic support, open-source intelligence, climate and environmental resilience, training and education, modeling and simulation and engineering support.
- Security Research Hub: In support of the U.S. Southern Command, located in South Florida, FIU’s holds a repository of publicly available reseasrch and reports related to security questions within Latin America and the Caribbean. The hub enhances the federal government’s real-time analyses of transnational security issues, global health concerns and regional environmental disasters.
- Cold spray technologies: Along with the U.S. Army Research Lab, FIU engineers are advancing the used of so-called additive manufacturing, which can be used to repair and strengthen materials and components utilized in military vehicles and munitions.
- Reconfigurable, ultra-wideband antenna systems: In collaboration with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, FIU is developing next-generation communication systems - 6G - that will not only improve reliability and rapidly accelerate data transmission for soldiers in the field and scientists on expeditions, among them astronauts in outer space, but will revolutionize health care for the masses.
- Ultra-high-performance concrete: In a collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FIU is advancing a material to create customized, on-demand, highly durable structures for the building, transportation and defense industries.
- Intelligence fellowship: FIU’s premier academic workforce development program provides both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to prepare for a future in any of the 18 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community through coursework, research and mentorship.