In February of 2009, members of the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) met in Washington, DC to consider the role of inter-sector partnerships in helping to accelerate the path to solutions in safeguarding the nation’s food supply. Subsequent to that meeting*, a small food safety working group was established with a specific objective in mind: To engage senior science, technology and policy personnel from companies, the federal labs, government agencies, and research universities in an open dialogue so as to (1) highlight critical opportunities for maintaining U.S. national defense, focusing on food and the supply chain, and (2) foster new collaboration among participants, all of whom possess, manage, and/or oversee particular capabilities, including knowledge, available technology, and/or fundamental research, in the food safety and national defense space.  

 

A workshop based on this objective occurred on September 29-30, 2009 in Washington, DC. The intention was to awaken people, philosophically, to the potential for companies and universities to work with the national labs – notably those that have declared homeland security as a mission – in repurposing current technologies so as to help safeguard the nation’s food supply.  The workshop served as a forum for candid, cross-sector discussion and the identification of areas ripe for innovation and collaboration.

 

 

* GUIRR Member Meeting: “Perspectives on the ‘Global Food Crisis’”, February 3-4, 2009

 

 

Workshop:

September 29-30, 2009
Technology Workshop on Food Safety and National Defense

Agenda (includes speaker presentations)