News

Mark your calendars, pass the word and look for our exhibit (booth 1410). The 2013 National SBIR Conference is just around the corner. This year the event will be part of TechConnect World Summit & Innovation, May 12-16, in Washington DC. The event is designed to accelerate the commercialization of American innovation by providing the world's largest on-site matchmaking program with investors and corporate development partners and attracts over 3,500 attendees to its annual conference. The SBIR and STTR programs are the largest source of federal funding - over $2 billion annually - for small high-tech firms. This new event format efficiently combines both events; it’s an ideal opportunity for you to speak directly to those from the public and private sectors looking to invest in innovative technologies. This event is structured to cater to everyone from the SBIR beginner to the veteran firm. Both federal agency SBIR and Tech-Transfer offices will be participating. Together the two events will offer a variety of sessions both technical and informational, one-on-one opportunities with the SBIR Program Managers, display booths, and unique programs like the National Innovation and Summit Showcase (NISS) and SBIR Commercialization Acceleration Program. Three special registration options have been established for the SBIR/STTR community. 1.) National SBIR Conference Registration, May 14-16: $375.00 2.) National SBIR Conference & NISS Registration, May 13-16: $575.00 (please use code SBIR13 when registering online) 3.) NISS-SBIR Commercialization Acceleration Program, May 13-16: $650.00 (discounted price includes Showcase booth and full access to both conferences). Please contact Derek Mayer at dmayer@techconnect.org to register for this package. Accepted submissions will be asked to showcase their technology, with top-ranked submissions asked to present their innovation. To register and view program highlights, visit: http://nationalinnovationsummit.com/program/National_SBIR_Conference.html.

The January 2013 issue of the Air Force SBIR/STTR Advantage is now online. This issue introduces our new SBIR/STTR program manager, provides insight into the impact of the recent policy directive changes and more. Visit our "Publications" page to get your copy.

Using pultrusion technology, KaZaK Composites Inc., developed a process for producing low-cost, high-performance carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite wings for a compressed carriage, long-loiter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This SBIR success story may be viewed in the Publications section (click on "Innovation Stories" link in right-hand column).

Mark your calendar! The Air Force SBIR/STTR program office will be participating in the 2012 SBIR/STTR National Conference on November 13-15 in Portland, Ore. This event welcomes entrepreneurs, businesses, government agencies, innovators, universities, and community partners. Stop by our booth (#14) in the Willamette Ballroom to learn about upcoming solicitations and take a guided tour of our website. Visit www.oregonsbir.com for more information on the conference.

Two SBIR success stories have been posted to the Publications section of this web site (see the Innovation success story folder). Utilization of photovoltaics in the space environment requires the provision of coverglass materials to protect cells from corpuscular and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Infoscitex Corporation, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, tuned the optical transmittance of candidate glass materials to take advantage of the near-UV region at the beginning of life (BOL) and end of life (EOL) cycles. Infoscitex’s optimized glass formulation provides improved UV/Visible light transmissivity and resistance to radiation-induced darkening compared to currently used coverglass. The Infoscitex coverglass was flown on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Materials International Space Station Experiment-7 (MISSE-7) as part of the active solar cell experiment. Application of the Infoscitex coverglass technology on satellites in high radiation orbits could enable longer mission lifetime, more available power, and lower weight requirements for the power system. The AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate manages this SBIR project. Under another SBIR project, the Air Force requirement was to develop a practical and effective approach to maneuverless range estimation using monocular passive electro-optical sensors for use in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Sense-and-Avoid systems. UtopiaCompression Corporation, located in Los Angeles, California, developed an analytically proven practical approach for maneuverless monocular passive range estimation, which represents a practical solution to this decades-old problem. Using this novel approach, accurate range estimates (~10 percent error) can be obtained for aircraft up to three nautical miles away without requiring any UAS maneuver. The maneuverless monocular passive ranging technology will have a transformational impact on integrating UAS in the National Airspace by removing a major technological barrier. This SBIR project is managed by the AFRL Sensors Directorate.