U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Alexandria, VA –
On 3 May 2023 the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) held their Textile and Protective Clothing Innovation Meeting hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia. This meeting was a first-of-its-kind pilot project to encourage innovators to join the defense marketplace. Through this partnership between the JPEO-CBRND and the USPTO, the JPEO-CBRND was able to reach out to patent holders in specific commodity areas and invite them to a forum with defense program managers and other existing defense contractors where they discussed the needs of the Nation and our warfighters.
Almost 100 attendees participated in the event organized by the Joint Project Manager (JPM) for CBRN Protection. Many participants were introduced to the JPEO-CBRND’s programs for the first time. During the event, attendees learned about JPM CBRN Protection’s mission and future needs to help protect warfighters from CBRN threats in the field. After the morning program, afternoon breakout sessions allowed attendees to network and make direct connections with the various program officers in attendance. Coming out of the event there were 12 new connections made and increased interest in the JPEO-CBRND’s work for this new group of patent holders and innovators.
Mr. Darryl Colvin, the Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, provided his remarks during the morning’s events where he impressed upon the group the novel approach to networking. Mr. Colvin stated, “this first-of-its-kind engagement leads us to the next innovation in CBRN protection and creates partnerships with industry and academia. These are the types of opportunities where we wouldn’t have otherwise connected with these partners, and [it] ensures we are leaning forward to leverage new technologies that meet the demands of today and the future."
The partnership between the USPTO and JPM CBRN Protection began in May 2021, as a response to COVID-19 created a need for personal protective equipment manufacturing and modernization expertise. The JPEO-CBRND needed to reach and engage with a new and expanded pool of vendors to help achieve its mission in the COVID-19 fight. The JPEO-CBRND and the USPTO signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formalize their relationship as collaborators, allowing the JPEO-CBRND access to these previously untapped vendors through the USPTO. Since then, the JPEO-CBRND has partnered with the USPTO for market research and to reach potential new industry partners to help tackle additional modernization efforts.
Forging this relatively new partnership between the JPEO-CBRND and the USPTO is a special opportunity for both organizations. The JPEO-CBRND hopes to have more connections like these with the entrepreneurs and innovators that help the organization achieve its mission to provide CBRN defense capabilities that protect warfighters. The USPTO and its innovators connected with new business opportunities within the U.S. Department of Defense and CBRND mission space.
If you or your company think you have a technology or solution that aligns with the JPEO-CBRND’s mission space and you want to connect, reach out and share more about your offering through the
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