WANTED: Technologies to improve emergency response and homeland security


COLLEGE STATION — The TEEX Product Development Center is seeking technologies that would benefit emergency response or homeland security for its 3rd annual Defense to Response (D2R) Technology Showcase, which will be held Sept. 18-20 in College Station. The event will highlight Department of Defense-funded technologies that could be transitioned into the first responder marketplace.
Applications are due Aug. 15, and finalists will be invited to present their technologies at the D2R Showcase, where they will compete for $110,000 in services from the Product Development Center, which is part of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). A panel of judges will select the top three technologies to receive services, such as product testing and evaluations, marketing, manufacturing assistance and fundraising. 
“We can also assist companies with prototype development, first responder customization, and potential integration with existing first responder systems,” said Caleb Holt, manager of the TEEX PDC. The D2R program is funded through a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative (DPSI).
All participants in the D2R Technology Showcase will have the opportunity to meet with subject matter experts and experience the unique facilities and capability of TEEX through responder demos and tours of facilities at the RELLIS campus, Brayton Fire Training Field and Disaster City®.
The Top 3 technologies will be paired with product managers, an emergency response subject matter expert (SME) and a business advisor, Holt said. Technologies will have testing and evaluation plans developed and executed utilizing TEEX emergency response training facilities.
“We will serve as a gateway for these DoD-developed technologies to gain access to real-world training facilities and hands-on, end-user engagement, as we work to position them for successful market entry. We will also offer all technologies selected for DPSI’s Technology Transfer Program to become TEEX TESTED®.”
Past D2R Showcase winners are Cultural Quotient Corp., Protect the Force Inc, Hearing Armor LLC., Applied Research Associates Inc., DetectaChem LLC and Southwest Synergistic Solutions.
Learn more and apply at:  www.TEEXPDC.com/D2R
About the TEEX Product Development Center
The Product Development Center, a center within the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, helps manufacturers, product developers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses move products from an idea or concept to the global marketplace. The Center serves as a gateway to the engineering expertise, experienced market analysts, laboratories, and real-world facilities of The Texas A&M University System in order to ensure a product or technology stays on the path to commercialization. Using the proven process of THINK | BUILD | SELL, the PDC helps companies develop methodologies, recruit subject-matter experts, assess partnerships, and test and evaluate their products. The Center also offers TEEX TESTED®, a third-party, unbiased testing and validation that a technology performs reliably in real-world conditions. https://teexpdc.com/