BSC Center for Applied Research and Technology at BSC
Provides Training Expertise for
Innovative Menotr/Protege Partnership

( Bluefield)—When a pair of defense industry organizations considered a symbiotic “mentor/protégé collaboration, they needed a college capable of providing highly relevant research and education opportunities.  They invited the Center for Applied Research & Technology (CART) at Bluefield State College to join their partnership.

CART was selected for its in-depth knowledge of unmanned systems and mobile robotic technologies.  “The experienced gained by our participation (and four world championships during the past three years) in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competitions, along with our body of work as an entrant in the 2005 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge provided an excellent foundation for our work in this initiative,” noted CART Director Bruce Mutter.

CART at BSC will work with the woman-owned RE2 (Robotics Engineering Excellence) and Textron Systems Corporation during their collaborative work in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) innovative Mentor-Protégé Program.  The program encourages large companies (such as Textron) to share their technical expertise and knowledge of government contracting with minority and women-owned small businesses.

“We forged a Mentor-Protégé relationship with Textron Systems due to our complimentary products and skills,” noted Jorgen Pedersen, RE2 President/CEO.  The partnership will focus upon the advancement, evolution, and advancement of RE2’s Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems, while Textron Systems will receive DoD funding to support the training and knowledge transfer to achieve those goals.

CART’s role will be to provide the protégé (RE2) with online education opportunities to improve its ability to conduct a DoD program.  “We will deliver online courses in technical project management, engineering economics, and advanced autonomous navigation through CART’s own Course Management System (CMS), Mutter explained.  “It’s an honor to participate in a project that will continue to strengthen our national defense contracting capabilities as we work with talented organizations like RE2 and Textron Systems.

A primary benefit to the DoD from this Mentor-Protégé relationship will be the development of a woman-owned small business in the field of robotics, qualified and experienced in working on DoD programs, ready to pursue/execute contracts and subcontracts while concurrently expanding the domestic U.S. industrial base.

September 28, 2006

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