For the seventeenth yr now, the Protection Division is recognizing the essential function engineers play in advancing the mission of defending the nation.
Throughout a digital occasion at this time to focus on Engineers Week 2022 — this yr with the theme of “Reimagining the Potential” — beneath secretary of protection for analysis and engineering, Heidi Shyu. mentioned how essential the development of recent expertise is for the US throughout the international safety setting, and the way engineers will assist make that expertise doable.
“We stay in an period wherein expertise competitors is the brand new battleground,” Shyu mentioned. “Our adversaries are investing closely, they’re appearing nimbly and constructing strategically … furthering science and expertise innovation throughout the division couldn’t be extra essential than it’s at this time.”
Shyu lately made public a listing of 14 expertise areas she believes are crucial for the division to give attention to. These areas embrace biotechnology; quantum science; future-generation wi-fi expertise; superior supplies; trusted synthetic intelligence and autonomy; built-in community systems-of-systems; microelectronics; area expertise; renewable power technology and storage; superior computing and software program; human-machine interfaces; directed power; hypersonics; and built-in sensing and cyber.
“The DOD should harness the unimaginable innovation ecosystem each domestically and globally to be able to see forward of our adversaries,” Shyu mentioned. “The challenges going through our navy are each numerous and complicated, starting from subtle cyber assaults to produce chain dangers, to defending in opposition to hypersonic missiles, to responding to biothreats.”
The Protection Division’s technique for assembly these challenges, Shyu mentioned, contains making the most of America’s current innovation potential, constructing a stronger technical workforce, and leveraging partnerships.
Amongst these partnerships, she mentioned, are universities, university-affiliated analysis facilities, federally funded analysis and growth facilities, the protection business, the personal sector and allies and companions.
“By working collectively we are able to resolve the hardest challenges,” she mentioned, telling engineers who attended the digital occasion that they’re central to conducting the Division’s objectives.
“This engineers week is a celebration of your innovation, your creativity, your dedication and your ardour to make this world a greater place,” she mentioned. “Thanks all for what you do.”
