IEEE Homeland Security Conference Business Panel to feature experts on technology commercialization

WASHINGTON (7 May 2008) -- Dr. Thomas Cellucci, chief commercialization officer for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate; and Peter Ciganer, executive vice president, In-Q-Tel, will be featured “Business Panel” speakers at the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security.

The eighth-annual conference is scheduled for 12-13 May at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, Mass. For more information and to register, go to http://www.ieeehomelandsecurityconference.org/ .

The “Business Panel,” set for Tuesday, 13 May from 8 to 9:30 a.m., will feature organizations contributing to the commercialization of homeland security technologies.

Cellucci and Ciganer will be joined by Ralph E. Taylor-Smith, general partner, Battelle Ventures; Arthur Robert, industry director, Defense & Renewable Energy Technologies, Massachusetts Office of Business Development; Dennis Treece, director of corporate security, Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and director, Massport Transportation Security Center of Excellence; and Robert Seelandt, partner manager, MetaCarta, Inc.

Gregory Bialecki, undersecretary, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will deliver the keynote address and welcome the panel.

Cellucci is responsible for identifying, evaluating and commercializing technology that rapidly develops and deploys products and services that meet the specific operational requirements of DHS and its end users. Cellucci, who holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, came to DHS after founding a management consulting company that raises capital and provides strategic business services for global high-tech firms.

Ciganer, who oversees In-Q-Tel’s government customer relations and communications, is responsible for helping identify and prioritize In-Q-Tel customers’ critical technology needs.

In-Q-Tel identifies and partners with companies that deliver cutting-edge technologies to the CIA and the broader U.S. intelligence community. It was founded by the CIA in 1999 as an independent, non-profit organization to bridge the gap between the intelligence community’s technology needs and new advances in commercial technology.

Taylor-Smith will discuss Battelle Ventures’ investment interests in security technologies. Robert will speak about business opportunities in the Commonwealth for Defense and Homeland Security businesses.

Treece will discuss the Massport Transportation Security Center of Excellence and how Massport engages the innovation community to pilot technologies at its airport, seaport and surface transportation facilities.

Seelandt will discuss Metacarta’s technology commercialization success with federal and state governments, as well as the private sector. The company was started with seed funding from In-Q-Tel.

The 2008 IEEE Homeland Security Conference is organized by the IEEE Boston Section and IEEE-USA. Industry sponsors include Massport, SAIC and Raytheon.

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 215,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of the IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional society with 375,000 members in 160 countries. See http://www.ieeeusa.org.