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Security, Crime, and Intelligence Innovation Institute

IBM: International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Sciences

Network and Information Sciences International Technology Alliance (ITA) is a collaborative research alliance between the UK Ministry of Defence (via the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Dstl), the US Army Research Laboratory, and a consortium of leading academic and industry partners, led by IBM.

The ITA program started in 2006 with the strategic goal of producing fundamental advances in information and network sciences that will enhance decision making for coalition missions, enable rapid, secure formation of ad hoc teams in coalition environments and enhance US and UK capabilities to conduct coalition operations.

Collaborative outcomes

  • field experiment using ITA-generated technologies in conjunction with the 'Sentinel' social media analytics tool developed by Cardiff University to monitor community reaction to the 2014 NATO Summit hosted in South Wales
  • sensor assignment to missions (SAM), developing a system that can “match” a person’s information requirements in an emergency situation to available sensors, such as cameras, microphones, seismic monitors, or radiation detectors. This work is currently undergoing technology transition via the US Army Research Laboratory.