Mitre’s BlueTechLab

— Mitre photo

Edited from a New England Council report

BOSTON

“The nonprofit Mitre Corp. recently announced that a team from Chelmsford, Mass.-based product-development company Triton Systems Inc. has become the first commercial enterprise to use Mitre’s new BlueTech Lab for testing. The lab is at Mitre’s Bedford, Mass., campus and was built to support the company’s expanding marine-technology work. (Mitre is headquartered in Bedford and McLean, Va.) The lab incudes a 620,000-gallon test tank (above) that can be used to study communication and acoustic sensing on uncrewed undersea and surface vehicles.  

“Triton Systems used the lab’s test tank to analyze the behavior of a small vehicle they are developing for a Department of Defense client. Angelica Cardona, a Triton engineer, had told Mitre that her company was eager to use the lab because of its ample workspace and controlled atmosphere. 

 “‘Being here saves us so much time and money. Without this resource, we’d be dealing with the logistical burden of getting out to sea and testing in mucky waters,’ said Cardona.’’

Providing access to ‘blue data’

Edited from a New England Council report:

“MITRE is launching the BlueNERVE Network to provide secure, real-time access to maritime data and testing resources for organizations involved in maritime technology research. The initiative is supported by a $2.2 million grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the administration of Gov. Maura Healey.

{Mitre is a not-for-profit organization with dual headquarters in Bedford, Mass., and McLean, Va. It manages federally funded research and development centers supporting various U.S. government agencies in aviation, defense, health-care, homeland security and cybersecurity, among others.}

“The network aims to facilitate the growth of the global Blue Economy by offering researchers and entrepreneurs access to ‘blue data’ to drive new discoveries, innovations and companies. BlueNERVE will connect various institutions, including universities and research centers, allowing researchers to conduct experiments and access real-time data remotely. MITRE’s BlueTech Lab, in Bedford, Mass., will serve as the central hub for the network.  

“‘The oceans are an invaluable resource tied to many of the nation’s biggest challenges, including national security, climate resilience, and economic growth,’ said Douglas Robbins, vice president of engineering and prototyping at MITRE Labs. ‘This project will foster an attractive innovation ecosystem for BlueTech startup companies, providing a first-in-the-nation data sharing capability that will maximize advantages for the region and grow the BlueTech workforce to meet the needs of the New Blue Economy.”’