Most Innovative New Product Awards: Defense, Transportation, and Cybersecurity

Defense, Transportation, and Cybersecurity

Beginning with our deep military roots, San Diego has grown a highly unique industry cluster around defense, transportation, and cybersecurity that not only serves to create the best products in the world for military use, but leverages those technologies for use in civilian life as well, for things like scientific research, transportation and internet data security.

We had the opportunity to chat with the people behind these companies, so here’s a quick look at the Finalists in the Defense, Transportation, and Cybersecurity category:

B&B Technologies – DAMPS

DAMPS (Directional Axial Magnetics Propulsion Systems) is an advanced super magnetics shock mitigation footwear technology for the military, commercial work/professional and medical footwear markets. CEO, Jeff Brown, answered a few questions about DAMPS here: 

CONNECT: What’s your biggest achievement to date?

Brown: Receiving a special invitation from SOF (Special Operation Forces) in 2014 to participate in a Shock Mitigation Experiment in Ft. Story, VA and after two days being told by the SOF operators and program sponsors that DAMPS MKV Smart Boots were the super stars of the event.

CONNECT: What’s the biggest obstacle or challenge you’ve overcome?

Brown: As a relative unknown, with unknown technology, has made funding the greatest challenge for us.

CONNECT: What does being a finalist in the Most Innovative New Product Awards mean to you?

Brown: It is a great honor and privilege to be selected as a finalist for the 2016 Most Innovate New Product Awards. This means that people in the know are seeing the true innovation our DAMPS Technology footwear brings to the industry.

Cubic Corporation – GATR Inflatable Satellite Antenna

Cubic’s GATR inflatable satellite antenna delivers identical performance to traditional antennas, but with an 85% reduction in the logistical size/weight. The antennas are designed to be ultra-portable, with lower cost of ownership, high reliability and ease of setup. They can be air-dropped or transported as commercial baggage, which is ideal for expeditionary missions. Chief Engineer of Secure Communications, Mike Huff, answered a few questions about the GATR Inflatable Satellite Antenna here: 

CONNECT: What’s your biggest achievement to date?

Huff: It’s hard to pin down one single achievement in a lifetime spent in technical innovation.  The key to success in my mind is never looking back, and after each success or failure, immediately begin the next challenge.

CONNECT: What’s the biggest obstacle or challenge you’ve overcome?

Huff: The biggest obstacle to success in innovation is overcoming fear and taking risk, and convincing others to do the same.  Resistance to change, fear and short-sightedness are obstacles that constantly face every innovator.

CONNECT: What does being a finalist in the Most Innovative New Product Awards mean to you?

Huff: The recognition that comes with being a finalist, for both our product and our company, is very much appreciated.  However, the best reward is the opportunity to see firsthand other amazing innovative products and meet the innovators.

Space Micro 

Micro-STAR-200M (uSTAR-200M) is a space qualified sensor observing stars and delivering precision pointing information to its host spacecraft. Comprised of a radiation hardened active pixel imaging chip, a lens assembly fabricated from radiation tolerant glass materials, high speed digital processing electronics and superior algorithms providing the most robust star sensor on the market. CEO, David Strobel, answered a few questions about Space Micro here: 

CONNECT: What’s your biggest achievement to date?

Strobel: Supporting both DoD and NASA space programs with high tech rad hard electronics products, and capturing market share from traditional large companies, within an affordable small business environment.

CONNECT: What’s the biggest obstacle or challenge you’ve overcome?

Strobel: Finally overcoming the inertia and conservatism of large space companies and agencies to make a change away from “business as usual”.

CONNECT: What does being a finalist in the Most Innovative New Product Awards mean to you?

Strobel: Validation of the value proposition of our new technology products. 

For more information on the 2016 Most Innovative New Product Awards click here. 

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