Start at the Beginning – The Right People, Better Tools and Processes

SCRA Applied R&D knows that affordable innovation doesn’t just happen – it’s the benefit of a repeatable multi-faceted methodology that begins with equipping talented people with the right tools and processes. SCRA Applied R&D leads a variety of Office of Naval Research-sponsored programs to do just that. One initiative is promoting science and engineering disciplines to middle and high school students. Another is addressing the shortage of power engineers needed to design, operate and maintain the all-electric ships of the future. Developing the advanced ship design tools and processes needed by those designers to deliver the next generation of Navy ships is the focus of another initiative.

Tailored Strategies for Multiple Applications

One key to achieving affordability in innovation is choosing the optimum development strategy for a given need. In developing advanced shipboard cargo movement and storage capabilities for the Navy, SCRA Applied R&D has used two very different strategies, each tailored to achieve maximum benefit from the minimum investment. In one project, SCRA Applied R&D developed the first-ever shipboard automated warehouse system using a project team consisting of commercial warehouse system vendors and system integrators to adapt existing technologies for shipboard use. This minimized the science and technology investment required. In another project, top researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked to develop advanced mobility technologies and highly specialized ship motion compensation algorithms to enable the safe movement of very large cargo loads in high sea states. Common to both project teams is SCRA Applied R&D’s engagement of shipbuilders to optimize system integration with new ship designs and to ensure compatibility with legacy ships – multiplying the benefit of research dollars across different platforms.

Successful Technology Transition

Transition to the customer is the true measure of success for any technology development effort. SCRA Applied R&D has actively engaged a wide spectrum of seabasing stakeholders. Navy ship acquisition program offices, researchers, technology developers, commercializers and shipbuilders ensure the best use of Science and Technology research funding – investing in the right technology solutions to meet warfighter needs. Following this proven methodology, SCRA Applied R&D-led science and technology development efforts have demonstrated a greater chance of transitioning to new ship designs to the benefit of the sea based warfighter.

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Shipboard Cargo Storage & Retrieval

A shining example of SCRA Applied R&D’s ability to develop and transition technology to meet customer needs is the Automated Storage and Retrieval System, a shipboard automated warehouse system developed for the Navy. This next-generation, low-maintenance cargo storage and retrieval system was adapted from commercial technology and designed to operate aboard ship in the high sea environment. In May 2005, the Navy Program Executive Office for Ships signed a Technology Transition Agreement with the Office of Naval Research committing to continued development and transition of the SCRA Applied R&D-led shipboard automated warehouse project. This indicator of customer confidence was a first in the history of ONR’s Future Naval Capability Program.

To learn more about Seabasing - Future Naval Capability, go to: http://seabasing.nsrp.org.

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SCRA Applied R&D teams with the Nation’s top researchers and industry-leading technology providers every step of the way, delivering solid performance from concept to delivery and making every research dollar count.