U.S. Army ERDC wins national recognition for leadership in technology transfer

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has been nationally recognized for its leadership in technology transfer. ERDC secured four of nine prestigious awards presented to Department of Defense (DOD) organizations at the 2024 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) national meeting.

The FLC is a network of over 300 federal labs, agencies, and research centers. ERDC, the premier research and development (R&D) center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was honored for advancing commercialization, best practices, and transitioning technologies from its seven labs to the marketplace in collaboration with industry and academia.

ERDC received the following FLC awards:

• Excellence in Technology Transfer for the Submersible Matting System (SUBMAT), a single-use, temporary roadway system created to improve the offloading of military vehicles during beach landings
• Impact Award for the Rapidly Deployed Modular Protective System Guard Tower (MPS-GT), a lightweight, low-logistics, rapidly constructible tower providing blast and ballistic protection for Warfighters in remote combat environments
• Interagency Partnership Award for collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Office on perimeter security solutions, Ready Armor Protection Instant Deployment (RAPID) and Deployable Expedient Traffic Entry Regulator (DETER)
• Outstanding Researcher/Small Research Team Award for its Sustainment Management System (SMS) Team

Based in Vicksburg, Miss., ERDC manages an annual research program exceeding $2 billion at seven federal labs in four states with over 2,300 employees. The organization is one of the leading R&D labs in the United States.

“Mississippi is proud of the role our state plays in America’s defense,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “ERDC and the Mississippians who work there are doing an exceptional job helping our military meet its research and development needs. We’re thankful to have them in Mississippi and grateful for their many contributions to our great state.”

In FY23, ERDC had $14.5 million in Mississippi small business partnerships and $29 million in R&D with Mississippi universities and large businesses.
“ERDC’s innovative solutions continue to address some of the world’s toughest challenges,” said ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman. “This is a significant accomplishment for our team, given the quality of work across federal labs. Our collaboration with industry and academia, both in Mississippi and nationwide, supports projects that strengthen our country’s military and economic competitiveness.”

ERDC partnerships drive economic growth and provide solutions to nationwide challenges such as infrastructure development, disaster mitigation, and national security.
“We are proud to partner with ERDC to promote its innovations and other opportunities for collaboration with industry and academia,” said ERDCWERX Director Paul Sumrall. “This national recognition by the FLC and DOD is a testament to ERDC’s commitment to pioneering tech transfer initiatives for the benefit of the Warfighter and our nation.”