Guest post from the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) International Cooperative Programs Office about how two decades of sharing our nations’ infrastructure-related challenges has helped to accelerate global solutions.
S&T has a mandate to work across the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission spaces to identify opportunities to leverage science and technology to tackle not only the challenges of today, but also those waiting just over the horizon. In 2004, when S&T was in its early days, the Directorate recognized the value of international research and development (R&D) partnerships to accomplish this mandate—because we know that the biggest challenges are not ones that we face alone, and they are not ours to overcome alone.
The first two official international agreements S&T signed were with Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), and this year we celebrated 20 years of incredible accomplishments with both partners. From cross-border search and rescue (with some early artificial intelligence!) efforts with Canada to a long history of protecting the traveling public with the United Kingdom (UK), our respective nations, our first responders, our citizens, and the world are all safer because of these relationships.
Few areas capture this interconnectedness like protecting our critical infrastructure. In addition to joining forces with our domestic partners—across DHS and other federal agencies, as well as our state and local counterparts—we also work closely with all our international partners to harness innovation. Any differences we may face in our respective contexts become assets that contribute to more robust technology solutions to protect our frontline operators and communities.
In the spirit of National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, following are examples of some of our ongoing global collaborations with Canada, the UK, and other nations to protect our critical infrastructure sectors:
Emergency Services Sector: Fire sensors with Canada
S&T works closely with international partners around the development, advancement and interoperability of our wildland fire sensors. S&T partnered with Defence Research and Development Canada to deploy 20 sensors to Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec. The sensors were successful in detecting an initial prescribed burn, as well as wildfires that resulted from training exercises on the base. The collaboration is one of several that will ultimately help inform further sensor evolution and lead to more effective implementation in the field.
Transportation Systems Sector: Industry Innovation with the UK
Since 2007, S&T has partnered with the UK to participate in the Innovation Research Call (IRC), a multi-million dollar competition to find state-of-the-art technological solutions for the improved detection of explosives and weapons. IRC has launched several commercially available products used in airports and other locations. By joining with the UK on this initiative, S&T is able to access and operationalize innovations from international industry and ensure our mission needs are being addressed on a broad scale—improving the safety of airports and public spaces not only in the US, but across the world.
Commercial Facilities Sector: Crowd Protection with Republic of Korea
Attending a large event, such as sporting events or parades, is a great way to build community, but it can pose significant challenges for law enforcement and security personnel tasked with ensuring a safe experience. S&T and the Republic of Korea Ministry of Science and Information Communication Technology are working together to tackle ways to monitor large scale crowd environments, anticipate and prevent incidents, and alert security personnel to act quickly if an event occurs, while protecting the privacy of individuals.
Communications Sector: 6G with National Science Foundation (NSF) and Finland
S&T and NSF have a long history of collaborating on science, technology, and innovation challenges. We are currently working with NSF and counterparts in Finland to foster partnerships with universities to build upon existing investments already made in the 5G/6G space. Earlier this year, S&T and Finland’s Ministry of the Interior signed a Joint Statement of Intent to work on information sharing leading to collaboration on research, development, testing, and evaluation activities that address our shared science and technology challenges. By working across our interagency and international partners, S&T continues to support the R&D of 6G wireless communication systems.
Food and Agriculture Sector: Biosecurity with New Zealand
New Zealand is a world leader in environmental and public health, including research into climate effects on health and disease spread due to increased heat and flood events. S&T and our partners at the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment share a commitment and focus on engaging beyond traditional government-to-government R&D in ways that spark innovation. New Zealand’s Institute of Environment Science and Research (ESR) was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Wellington to co-sponsor a workshop on biosecurity, and S&T is proud to be partnering with ESR on the event. The workshop will enhance DHS’s ability to tap into global experts in these fields, as well as partner on ways our biosecurity networks can help us think about and get out in front of future threats.
Information Technology Sector: Infrastructure and Climate Nexus with NATO and Australia
In an ever-connected world, climate events like floods, fires, and droughts can have ripple effects across sectors. This summer, S&T co-led the Unravelling the Cyber-Physical-Social Infrastructure Climate Change Nexus NATO Advanced Research Workshop, in support of shared priorities with the NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme. S&T was joined by Purdue University’s Institute for a Sustainable Future and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization as part of a series intended to bring together government, academic, and research stakeholders to work identify opportunities for international R&D cooperation. Identifying shared challenges with partners can open opportunities to coordinate work in ways that save both time and money.
