Who: Under Secretary for  Science and Technology Dr. Reginald Brothers and Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Robert Griffin.

What: A conversation with innovators and public safety on preparing for the future: "Saving Lives:  Reinventing Government R&D through Wearable Tech." 

When: 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. CST
           March 13, 2015

Where: Salon G, JW Marriott, Austin, TX

Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Reginald Brothers and Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Robert Griffin will lead an interactive conversation entitled: "Saving Lives: Reinventing Government R&D through Wearable Tech" at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive.

S&T is looking for your best ideas on how we can mobilize and repurpose cutting-edge smart technologies to strengthen the safety and security of our nation. Focusing on wearable tech and Internet of Things, this discussion is a “call to action” to challenge you to think differently about the role science plays in saving lives. S&T envisions a future where mobile sensors, communications, materials, and visualization technologies seamlessly work together to enhance the safety of the public and our responders— those who put their lives on the line every day to protect the American people.

If you're attending SXSW, S&T invites you to join our discussion with industry innovators, developers, entrepreneurs, technologists, and public safety representatives. S&T is looking for innovative solutions that can be game changers for the “responder of the future,” such as electronics embedded in a responder’s gear. To keep pace with the speed of innovation, S&T is initiating prize challenges and an accelerator program to attract businesses and inventors working on wearable tech. These efforts will enhance industry partnerships, spur collaborative R&D, and create new opportunities to expand the wearables marketplace. 

Are you ready to change the conversation about the future of our communities and public safety? Help us drive new ways of doing business with the government and build lasting public-private relationships for years to come. See how S&T is on the forefront of change that will impact homeland security nationwide. Meet fellow innovators and government leaders who work in technology, understand the challenges and opportunities, and share forward-thinking ideas on how government can reinvent R&D.

During this conversation, participants:

• Will gain a better understanding of where to start and how to do business with S&T.
• Will learn about S&T’s R&D roadmap and partnering and business opportunities.
• Can provide input to S&T how it can re-structure planning initiatives, like wearables, to fit into the existing consumer marketplace of delivering innovative solutions to customers.
• Will hear from responders on existing challenges and capability gaps and how to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure technologies make the right impacts.
• Can tell S&T what is needed from government to operate at the pace of innovation and be a stronger partner in the digital, wireless age.