By Allan Maurer

FAYETTEVILLE, NC-The Defense and Security Technology Accelerator that opened here in November last year already hosts seven companies that have created 48 jobs and are managing or working on 20 contracts. "We're expecting that collectively they will generate $9.2 million in gross revenue this year," says Scott Perry, general manager.

DSTA expects to help North Carolina grab a bigger share of the huge defense and security sector. Perry notes, "We're third or fourth in military presence, but 27th in the nation with regard to defense spending."

DSTA's Fayetteville location places it near an important customer base for its client companies, Fort Bragg and the U.S. Special Operations Forces.

The accelerator acts as an innovative incubation program that assists entrepreneurs with the rapid development (8 - 18 months) of dual use defense and security technology solutions. In addition to the seven companies currently resident, DSTA is reviewing applications from three additional firms, Perry says.

Current companies
Current companies include: Hoizontal Fusion, which develops and maintains curriculums to support training in various disciplines for the military and Department of Defense.

K3 Enterprises is a consulting firm focused on evaluating, troubleshooting and developing new solutions for clients in the military and security industries.

Olivia Tower offers a rapid deployment, mobile platform that can be integrated with a variety of communications, optical and networking equipment.

Signet Technologies designs, installs and services integrated security systems and creates new technologies through innovative use of existing security products.

Net Centric Services manufactures cryptographic data and tactical wireless communications products.

Future Technologies sells software design, systems engineering, simulation, intelligence support services, integrated logistics support and other services.

"We have 21 offices available with eight remaining,"he says. The accelerator provides more than office space, however. "We bring in bankers, lawyers, and professionals from business and industry who put on programs for them," says Perry. That helps often tech-oriented executives master planning, forecasting, budgets, spreadsheets, and other business administration skills.

The process starts as soon as a company is accepted by DSTA. "We begin with an assessment," says Perry. "Then we look at what their individual needs are and how different parts of our program can help them. They may need help from specialists such as a patent lawyer, perhaps."

A miraculous difference
The kind of help incubators provide start-ups makes a big difference in their survival rate, he notes. "The washout rate for small companies on their own is five years. They run out of energy. In a disciplined incubator environment, we help them through the business and marketing planning process."

Because of that, "85 percent of companies coming out of an incubator are still around after five years," Perry says. "It's almost a miraculous difference. It's a springboard for them to jump into the marketplace and helps them achieve long term success."

Companies pay rent depending on how much space they have. Offices run from 200 square feet to 600 square feet and they have 24/7 access to the accelerator's 15,000 square foot building, which includes two shared conference rooms. Perry says an average office for three people costs $600.

DSTA maintains collaborative relationships with several organizations in North Carolina, including Fayetteville State University, UNC-Charlotte/Research Center, NC Business Intelligence Council, and the Research Triangle Partnership, among others.

Wi-Fi lab tests systems

In 2006, DSTA secured $1.08 million in federal funding to build its state-of-the-art Wi-fi lab for testing and integrating battlefield communications technology. Wi-Fi networks provide a direct link for video, still imagery, and sensor information from unmanned or manned platforms to combatants through lightweight transceiver units.

These systems enable sharing of information among dismounted soldiers and other ground nodes within the tactical Wi-Fi network. The system enables the ground force to immediately share critical imagery or information developed during tactical operations among individuals and small units.

Robert Dailey, DSTA's industry liason, says, "The Wi-fi lab is a service to the U.S. Army special operations command at Fort Bragg. It helps take commercial items and integrate them into the military communications architecture."

"There's a lot of great technology out there, but how do you integrate these personal communications devices with the necessary security? It requires a lot of configuration management to make them fit within the existing architecture."

For more information see: www.dstanc.org