UofL, UK look to shape national security technology

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville and University of Kentucky are taking part in a first-time program to enhance technology with the goal of national security.

“Having access to that here at UofL is a big, big win for us,” said Will Metcalf, associate vice president for research and innovation at UofL.

The NobleReach Foundation connects the public and private sectors to create innovation. They’ve chosen the UofL and UK, among other universities, to take part in their Science to Venture pilot program. It aims to move discoveries related to national security from idea to practical use.

Metcalf said this program will help provide resources to get projects over the hump.

“What we really need help with is finding that commercial partner,” Metcalf said. “So, defense application is one potential use-case for many of the technologies we have, and to do that you need really talented entrepreneurs or mentors.”

The two Kentucky universities are working in a hub with Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee.

Metcalf said they will work with tech companies in the region and defense contractors to uncover needs as it relates to national security. The areas this group excels in are manufacturing and biomedical engineering.

“Think 3-D printing from a plastics perspective most people know about, but we do really strong in metals, composite materials, think lightweight applications,” he said.

Metcalf said UofL already has a head start on the program, working on projects in cybersecurity.

“There’s another one that’s really exciting. It’s a technique to measure metabolites in your breath so we can take a snapshot of someone’s health from their breath,” he said.

Metcalf would be pleased if his hub could get one or two projects into the real world with the help of NobleReach. The program is expected to run for two years.

The second hub is comprised of southeastern universities: University of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.