Mitre has recently unveiled its new Blue Tech Lab on its campus in Bedford, Massachusetts. The lab is aimed at expanding research and development on marine technologies with the ultimate goal of ensuring national, climate, and economic security. The lab features a 620,000-gallon test tank specifically designed for communication and acoustic sensing studies, as well as testing unmanned surface and undersea vehicles.
The Blue Tech Lab is intended to be a collaborative space for government, industry, and academic researchers to work on rapid prototyping, research and development initiatives. The lab focuses on several key areas including maritime autonomy, uncrewed underwater vehicles, climate science, and acoustic sensing and communications. According to Douglas Robbins, vice president at Mitre Labs, the lab has the potential to serve as a national resource for maritime research and support technological innovation through collaboration.
As part of the opening ceremony for the facility, Richard Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was in attendance along with Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts. The BlueNERVE network will be based out of this new laboratory and aims to provide research organizations with access to maritime data and testing resources in order to drive innovation and discoveries in the field.