1. Broadly speaking, what is the USM Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise?
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise is a collection state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment dedicated to advancing the Blue Economy and ocean science in the Gulf of Mexico. One of our strengths is data-driven testing and evaluation of uncrewed maritime systems and sensors. A large part of our mission is to align innovation and collaboration in ocean technology by promoting the integration of advanced data AI/ML products from uncrewed systems into commercial and research applications.
As the Director of Research, Development, Testing, Evaluation & Training (RDTE&T), I oversee initiatives that bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs, ensuring that the technologies developed here are both cutting-edge and practical for real-world applications.
2. What sectors are currently leveraging the resources available at the Center?
We are currently working with a host of different partners at the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, ranging from the defense and offshore energy sectors to companies specializing in marine environmental monitoring and aquaculture and fisheries market development. We are seeing significant investment from both Federal and Industry partners in enhancing the utility and endurance of uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle platforms, with a strong focus on autonomous navigation, data-driven decision-making, and advanced sensor integration.
Our partnerships with commercial entities in the blue tech sector—startups as well as established companies—are critical. They allow us to continuously innovate and refine these emerging technologies. For example, we’re working with the next generation of ocean gliders and USVs that can operate in shallower maritime environments, collecting and processing data in real-time to support everything from environmental monitoring to defense-related surveillance missions.
3. How do you see the industry overcoming skilled workforce shortages in the uncrewed sectors?
Within Ocean Enterprise, we are partially addressing these workforce challenges by partnering with our state workforce agency (AccelerateMS), Community Colleges, Federal Agencies and Research Labs whenever we can to offer specialized training programs for upskilling and micro-learning. We are also collaborating with our industry partners to develop curricula that meet the evolving needs of the sector.
By focusing on experiential learning when we can, and real-world applications, we are equipping the next generation of entrepreneurs, oceanographers, engineers, data scientists, and operators with the skills they need to succeed and grow the Blue Economy in Mississippi and even globally. We believe our approach will ensure that the existing workforce can adapt to the rapid pace of technological advancements in uncrewed systems and ocean data science.
4. How do you envision the role of academic and industry partnerships in advancing remote and uncrewed technologies?
Academic and industry partnerships continue to prove instrumental when it comes to the advancement of remote and uncrewed technologies for data science. These collaborations enable us to leverage the strengths of both sectors: academic research brings cutting-edge theoretical insights and students eager to learn, while industry provides practical, real-world use-cases and resources.
Our partnership with Sea Trac Systems, for example, has enabled us to test and refine USVs in challenging conditions, providing our partners within NOAA more cost-effective ocean data for their resource managers to make their critical assessments of coastal dead zones.
Similarly, our collaboration with Seasats has allowed us to explore rapid integration of geophysical sensors for the Navy vital for successful operations globally. In fact, our partnerships with all of our 12 (and counting) Gulf Blue Navigator startups have not only significantly advanced what is technically possible, but also provide invaluable feedback loops that drive continuous improvement and capabilities for our Federal Partners.
5. What exciting developments should readers look out for stemming from work being done at the USM Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise?
There are several exciting developments on the horizon at the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise. We are gearing up for a series of high-profile demonstrations of uncrewed systems, showcasing their capabilities in real-world scenarios during the Navy/NOAA ANTX demonstration during Oceans in Action in April of 2025.
Additionally, we will be expanding our collaborations with blue tech startups in the areas of ocean data, ocean autonomy, coastal resilience, and offshore aquaculture during the next Gulf Blue Navigator Cohort starting in January 2025.
In the next month or so, we will also be launching the use of our specially trained Ocean Data Generative AI developed in conjunction with BlueMvmt called Sea- WatchAI and its even more specialized version, BathyAI for a pilot project with our Navy CRADA partners at CNMOC and NAVOCEANO.
Finally, will be partnering with our latest commercial partner, Integer Technologies to bring their innovative maritime perception technology to our buoys to enhance maritime domain awareness. We believe these events and capabilities will enhance our commitment to data-driven testing and evaluation, ensuring that the technologies we develop are not only innovative but also rigorously tested for reliability and performance. Keep an eye out for announcements on these events, as they will offer a glimpse into the art-of-the-possible in ocean technology.
For more Take 5 interviews, visit: oceannews.com/frontline
This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine’s September 2024 issue. Click here to read more.
