IBM-Led Consortium Wins Ground-Breaking Transatlantic Defense Research Agreement

IBM-Led Consortium Wins Ground-Breaking Transatlantic Defense Research Agreement

The United States Army Research Laboratory and United Kingdom Ministry of Defence have selected an IBM-led (NYSE: IBM) consortium, the newly formed International Technology Alliance (ITA) in Network and Information Sciences, to undertake a research program exploring advanced technology for secure wireless and sensor networks to support future coalition operations, over a potential 10 year period, with a value of up to $135.8 million.

Successful future military operations will depend on the capability of coalition forces to quickly gather, interpret and share battlefield information to coordinate actions, so the research will enable interoperability and communications across disparate military units, allowing them to operate more effectively.

This Alliance represents a new way of conducting collaborative research by fostering close partnerships among government, academic, and industry researchers in both countries. The ITA creates a critical mass of private sector and government researchers focused on solving military technology challenges central to future coalition military operations; enabling staff rotations among all organizations in the Alliance; and facilitating rapid and affordable transition of technologies with an innovative transition model.

“With the ITA, the U.S. and UK are pioneering a ground-breaking model, drawing upon academia and industry for a world class research and technology partnership,” said Paul Horn, Senior Vice President, IBM Research. “The ITA program is designed to break down the barriers between different technical areas and define synergistic projects that promote cooperation across international and organizational boundaries.”

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