U.S. Coast Guard, Scripps Open New Center for Tech Cooperation

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard and Scripps Institution of Oceanography launched the Blue Technology Center of Expertise (COE) with a ceremony on the Scripps campus in San Diego.

“The Blue Technology Center of Expertise will better connect the Coast Guard with the tremendous government, academic and industry innovation ecosystem in the San Diego area,” said USCG Deputy Commandant for Mission Support Vice Adm. Michael McAllister. “It will create a unique pipeline for the rapid identification and implementation of new maritime technologies into critical Coast Guard operations around the globe.”

Scripps Institution of Oceanography is a leading center for marine research and education, with an emphasis on innovation that dates back to World War II. The institution is home to significant programs such as the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP), an extensive network for monitoring waves and beaches along the U.S. coastlines, and HF-Radar Network, a near real-time ocean surface current measurement network of shore-based radar systems, and a well-known research vessel operations division. 

The Coast Guard was authorized to establish the Blue Technology COE by the 2018 Save Our Seas Act. For the purposes of the project, "blue technology" is a broad category: according to the USCG, it encompasses any technology, system or platform designed for use above, on, or below the surface of the ocean that can support or facilitate Coast Guard maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, emergency response, maritime law enforcement, marine inspections and investigations. The center will enable better sharing of technology and information between the Coast Guard and the private sector, other federal agencies, academia and nonprofit organizations.