Mitre has recently opened a Blue Tech Lab on its campus in Bedford, Massachusetts. The purpose of this lab is to expand research and development on marine technologies with the goal of ensuring national, climate, and economic security. The lab features a 620,000-gallon test tank that is specifically designed for communication and acoustic sensing studies, as well as for use with 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, and testing initiatives. The focus areas of the lab include maritime autonomy, uncrewed underwater vehicles, climate science, and acoustic sensing and communications. The facility will also serve as the hub of Mitre’s BlueNERVE network which aims to provide research organizations with access to maritime data and testing resources in order to drive innovation and make new discoveries in the field.

Douglas Robbins, the vice president at Mitre Labs, emphasized the lab’s potential as a national resource for maritime research and its ability to support technological innovation and collaboration. He stated that “The Blue Tech Lab will play a critical role in advancing our understanding of marine technologies and their impact on our nation’s security.”

The opening ceremony for the facility was attended by Richard Spinrad, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who highlighted the importance of collaboration between public sector organizations like NOAA and private sector organizations like Mitre in driving innovation in ocean science research. Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts also spoke about how this new laboratory will have an enormous impact on his state’s economy by creating jobs in blue technology industries.