The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded five companies prototype contracts to develop a platform to enhance the Department of Defense’s biosurveillance capabilities using artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics.
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Integrating Biosurveillance Tech
Under the effort, Booz Allen Hamilton was tapped to integrate biosurveillance technologies within the DOD’s operational infrastructure while Bana Solutions was chosen to provide an IT system for data ingestion and visualization of biosurveillance insights, DIU said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Cyberhill Partners, data.world and KUNGFU.AI are tasked to deliver secure software, AI-powered analytics and knowledge graph-based systems to enhance real-time threat detection and intelligence insights.
According to Cyberhill Partners, the collaborative effort will build a prototype, which will be evaluated in simulated threat environments to measure its ability to provide real-time decision support and operational readiness.
Leveraging Commercial Innovation
The initiative aims to use commercial innovation to bolster the country’s biosurveillance infrastructure and ensure it remains ahead of emerging threats, DHA Public Health Director Brandon Taylor said. “The ability to rapidly identify and assess biological threats is critical to national security,” he explained.
DIU picked the program participants from 78 companies that submitted their proposed capabilities. The selected contractors will prototype their technologies and refine them over the next 12 to 24 months. The prototypes will be tested to check their effectiveness in detecting and mitigating health threats from diverse data sources.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs and the DOD Chemical and Biological Defense wing will spearhead the program.
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