Technolink Snapshot February 2019

Special Congratulations

Technolink would like to congratulate the Honorable Sheriff Don Barnes  as the new Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, elected in November 2018. As  the 13th Sheriff-Coroner for Orange County, he leads the 4,000 sworn and professional men and women who serve in areas as diverse as Patrol Operations, Criminal and Special Investigations, the County’s Crime Lab and Courts, Coroner’s Office, as well as those who serve in Orange County’s five jails that collectively comprise one of the nation’s largest jail systems. Sheriff Barnes began his law enforcement career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 1989. Over the course of his career, Sheriff Barnes has held every rank in the Department, including three years as the agency’s chief operating officer in the position of Undersheriff. As Sheriff, Don Barnes is leading initiatives aimed at reducing the prevalence of drugs in our neighborhoods, enhancing school safety, mitigating the impacts of homelessness, and advocating for the restoration of accountability to our criminal justice system. In addition to other boards and committees that serve Orange County’s more than 3.2 million residents, Sheriff Barnes serves as the Chair of the Information and Technology Committee for the California State Sheriffs’ Association, is Co-chair of the California Statewide Data Sharing Task Force, and Chair of the Integrated Law and Justice Agency of Orange County, a joint powers authority governing countywide law enforcement technology projects.

Insights from Members Shaping the Future

Technolink supporter Wahid Nawabi, CEO of Aerovironment,  reports on an innovative new relationship with General Dynamics Land Systems. “We are working with General Dynamics to integrate small UAS and Switchblade Tactical Missile Systems into armored combat vehicles for new upcoming U.S. Army and Marine Corps acquisition programs. We are establishing a new paradigm for airpower in which armored vehicle commanders would possess their own aerial capabilities for reconnaissance and precision strike while stationary or on the move," says Nawabi. "Working together, our small UAS and Switchblade, for example, can deliver game-changing situational awareness and precision strike capabilities directly to the commander of an armored vehicle.” Aerovironment has proposed its small UAS as a proven, rapid and effective solution to helping protect our nation’s borders while also protecting border patrol personnel and migrants from myriad hazards.  Serving as advance scouts, AeroVironment’s Puma, Raven and Wasp systems would serve as force multipliers for border patrol agents by surveying vast stretches of uninhabited land and highlighting moving objects for further investigation.  AeroVironment has also developed fully automated drone information solutions that can be operated from a tablet device, making it easier than ever to collect the information needed for customers to proceed with certainty. Continued strength in its core small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) business, particularly in the growing international market, and robust customer demand for its innovative solutions, coupled with its strategy, support Aerovironment's long-term value creation goals.

Technolink Advisory board member and Spring Visionary speaker, David Klug of P2S shares the following insights: Over the past several years the Technology Revolution has spurred a plethora of new technologies. On the engineering side of the construction industry, there is a constant push to find ways to incorporate new technologies from other industries. From laser scanning to custom programming to augmented reality, many new technologies are used during the design process. These technologies both improve the accuracy of designs as well as reduce the time for design and construction. With today’s Technology Revolution there are limitless possibilities for improving. For more information on how we use these technologies, visit our site.

Ross De Vol, member and advisor of Technolink now based in Arkansas,  recently authored, "How Do Research Universities Contribute to Regional Economies: Measuring the Impact of Research University Contributions to Regional Economies" for the Walton Family Foundation. "Research," writes De Vol, "shouldn’t be confined to a library, a lab or a lecture hall. Because when it goes beyond the norms, it brings about opportunity.  In fact, when it comes to America’s research universities, across the Heartland and beyond, new data from the Walton Family Foundation show that when research universities and local and regional communities collaborate, the positive impacts on the workforce, tax base, startup activity and economy opportunity grow exponentially. The Walton Family Foundation has released new research that outlines five key areas for collaboration, including operations; human capital; licensing and academic startup activity; business and economic engagement pathways; and enhancing quality of place through social capital building interactions with their communities. If you have a research university in your community, explore ways to pursue greater collaboration. Look at ways to ensure the positive impacts can serve as a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity --  in the Heartland and beyond." To read the research, click here.