EIGS recently talked to Mary Pagnutti, President with Innovative Imaging and Research Corporation (I2R Corp) at Stennis Space Center to learn more about the company, their on-going projects, and the future direction of the company. I2R Corp is an active member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA).
The Sensor:
Tell our readers about I2R and your role with the company.
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Commentary From: Michael Liu, Sr. Vice President, Dutko Worldwide
As predicted last month, a debt-deficit deal is being pushed till the last minute. The rise of Michele Bachmann in the polls and strong backbone of Eric Cantor, whether or not the talking heads like it, puts further pressure on Boehner to stand tough. However, the President and Senate (Democrats and Republicans) will ultimately prevail for the short term. The debt limit will be raised, there may or may not be program cuts directly tied to the raising of the limit, but cuts will come by way of the regular budget process. However, as discussed in earlier columns, implementation of a 2012 federal fiscal year budget will probably not happen until the end of the year or early next.
So what should a business do?
My recommendations: If you have firm contracts and can count on steady cash flow for the next 18 months and feel the need to expand, do so. On the other hand, if your current situation is somewhat uncertain, hold the line, perhaps even retrench since the nation and the world will be in economic turmoil for that period.
But once the 2012 elections are over, there will be a more definitive political environment. Whichever Party wins, and whoever wins the White House, the stage for economic expansion will be set, and it will not be due to any specific federal influences, but rather be primarily based on the pent up appetite by banks and investors to get their hoards of cash (around $2 trillion) working for them. Much of the cautious approach to lending that small business faces today is tied primarily to uncertainty rather than the substantive approaches of any of the warring factions in Washington. With certainty and the huge accumulation of cash by Wall Street and banks of all sizes over the last few years, lenders will be able to readily incorporate fiscal and budget policies of almost any stripe.
In addition, for both the states of Mississippi and Louisiana, the state administrations of both will be hitting their stride after the 2011 elections.
The bottom line: Hang in there. The combination of energetic leadership from Jackson and Baton Rouge with greater clarity in Washington puts in place the platform for especially strong growth and investment for the region in 2013.
Image of the Month
Satellite Images May Show Evidence of Mass Graves in Sudan
A U.S. satellite monitoring group released images Thursday that it fears show a mass grave in Sudan, saying witnesses also have described 100 or more bodies being thrown into a pit in the same area. Read more: www.foxnews.com
July 14: In this Digital Globe satellite image made available by the US monitoring group the Satellite Sentinel Project Thursday and analyzed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, a dug-up site near Kadugli town in a sealed-off region of Sudan appears to be a mass grave, offering the first aerial photographs from a conflict zone that outside observers can't access.
Credit: AP
Items of Interest
Lockheed Martin and Esri Sign Partnership Towards On-Demand Geospatial Apps and Services
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Esri will collaborate on technologies to put online geospatial apps and services in the hands of more military, intelligence, homeland security and emergency response users worldwide. Lockheed Martin recently joined the Esri Partner Network as a Gold Tier partner to offer powerful geographic information systems (GIS) tools and apps to a wide range of U.S. and international customers.
"As we drive to create GEOINT solutions that utilize innovative, on-line apps for novice and expert users alike, collaborating with a
GIS leader like Esri will help us make those solutions more powerful, more integrated and more affordable,"
said Dan Rice, Lockheed Martin's Vice President of Spatial Solutions. "Combining Esri's industry-leading software with our expertise
in advanced analytics, mobile networking and open-source intelligence will help us create a new generation of geospatial
technology to address the rapidly-changing demands of our customers." …
Read more: www.directionsmag.com
GITA: Turning the Page
After a rather tumultous few years in which the Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA) saw attendence at their annual conference fade and their regional chapters in some disarray, executive director Bob Samborski sees the group turning the page and entering a new era. He said that while the annual event will be cancelled, the association is looking to affiliate with other organizations in which geospatial plays an ancillary role. …
Read more: apb.directionsmag.com
Software Could Help Protect Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases
A team of undergraduate computer scientists and their professor at South Dakota State University are building software to protect people in Africa and North America from mosquito-borne illnesses. The end product will help other researchers and perhaps government health agencies monitor conditions that could contribute to outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases. …
Read more: www.newswise.com
(top) Gary Lawrence and undergraduate students Ben Berch and Patrick Garrard (from left) collect hyperspectral reflectance data from cotton plants infected with reniform nematodes for a grant-funded project at Mississippi State University.
(bottom) Gary Lawrence and Roger King of Mississippi State University analyze a map showing nematode sample locations and reflectance data to determine areas of high nematode populations. (Photos by Kat Lawrence)
Did you know that researchers at Mississippi State University have developed technology that uses reflected light to analyze the presence of certain nematodes in cotton fields so producers can increase profits?
Since 2001, MSU associate professor of nematology Gary Lawrence and Giles Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Roger King have been developing a way to use remote sensing technology to battle reniform and root-knot nematodes, which are the No. 1 cotton pest in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. In recent years, Mississippi cotton producers lost more profits from these nematode infestations than any other state, including a loss of 225,000 bales worth $87.8 million in 2006.
This research benefits not only Mississippi, but the entire Southeast, as producers in Alabama and Georgia routinely use the site-specific application method for treating their fields.
"Out of all of the original research projects funded for the purpose of creating commercial uses for hyperspectral imaging technology, our project was the only one to receive a patent," Lawrence said. "We hope that in the future, we'll be able to use the sensors on satellites to get orbital views of the fields, which will allow even faster results using more data points." For more information, msucares.com
SBC and Small Business Technology Expo Wrap-Up
The Magnolia Business Alliance recently hosted a two-day event which included a meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium (SBC) as well as the first Small Business Technology Expo. The meetings were held at Stennis Space Center and were both met a lot of enthusiasm, with over 200 people in attendance and 25 exhibitors.
The SBC meeting featured speakers who focused on recent procurement awards from Hewlett Packard to Lockheed Martin. Stennis government agencies, prime contractors, and other technology organizations followed, focusing on opportunities for small businesses. The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology briefed the group on its Affiliate Program. Immediately following the SBC meeting, attending HUB Zone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses were invited to present to Stennis government agencies and prime contractors.
The Small Business Technology Expo showcased the capabilities of a variety of small technology businesses with expertise in remote sensing, IT, engineering, project management, oceanography and meteorology, as well as a variety of other fields.
Many visiting companies indicated they plan to exhibit at the next event. For more information on these and other events, contact the Magnolia Business Alliance at 228.295.7117, or visit http://www.magnolia-ba.biz/.
Doing Business in Mississippi
Mississippi is bursting with creativity. From the state's rich cultural heritage, to its skilled artists, artisans, writers, architects and designers, to its host of museums, Mississippi's creative citizens, companies and institutions make the communities in which they reside unique and vibrant places. While these creative people and institutions help define an area, giving it a distinctive, local appeal, many don't realize they collectively contribute significant wealth to the state's overall economy.
The Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Arts Commission are hosting a Creative Economy Summit which will help attendees better understand Mississippi's creative economy and will offer ideas on how they can grow their own local creative economies by capitalizing on their existing assets. The summit will include a keynote address by Governor Haley Barbour as well as breakout sessions, roundtable discussions and a best practices panel.
When:
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Where:
Jackson Convention Complex
105 E. Pascagoula Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
Register Now
Global Perspectives
Growing the IT and GIS Industry in India
DirectionsMag.com (blog)
Mr. Rajendra Pawar (photo at right; click for larger image), chairman of both the private NIIT Group and the Indian National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) provided a perspective of building a smarter nation through GIS …
[Read the full article]
India adopts new remote sensing policy
Spatial Source
The new policy removes restrictions on all remote sensing data up to 1 m resolution, that is, all satellite remote sensing data of resolutions up to 1 m will now be distributed on a non-discriminatory basis and 'on request'. The 2001 policy required …
[Read
the full article]
Welsh Scientist given top NASA award
wales.com
A renowned atmospheric physicist, Professor John Harries has advanced remote sensing technologies and made a number of scientific discoveries that have contributed greatly to achieving NASA's goal of improving knowledge of Earth's atmosphere and …
[Read
the full article]
The Sensor (Full text)
Tell our readers about I2R and your role with the company.
Pagnutti: Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) is a new technology development start-up company specializing in remote sensing geospatial and optics-based products and services. We develop custom instrumentation, often centered on radiometry, integrating spheres, advanced illumination and environmentally controlled cells. In addition, we provide engineering services to improve geospatial products such as calibrating instruments and developing custom algorithms to enhance image quality. Our goal is to develop critical technology and perform quality research for the US Government through competitive grants and then transition that knowledge to the private sector as commercial products and services. We are located within the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology small business incubator in Building 1103 at the NASA John C. Stennis Space Center and we recently became certified through the Small Business Administration as an 8(m) Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).
Bob Ryan and I founded the company in 2007 and opened our door for business a year later. We each bring over 25 years of engineering, imaging and lighting technology experience, including sensor design, data product calibration/validation, advanced geospatial image processing and software algorithm development to our company. As president I am responsible for running the day to day operation, while always looking out for new customers, opportunities and people to collaborate with.
The Sensor: Give us an idea of who your customers are and some of I2R's products and services.
Pagnutti: I2R clients include aerospace firms, digital camera manufacturers, other small businesses, universities, and several Federal agencies including NASA, USGS, USDA and DHS. In the way of products and services., we've designed and built a system to radiometrically calibrate a family of high end digital aerial cameras in the laboratory. This system enables our client to maintain radiometry between cameras and against an absolute standard. We designed and built an advanced photoreactor and delivered it to researchers at NRL in support of their photocatalytic material research. Our reactor advances the state-of-the-art experimental capability by providing a closed environmentally controlled and monitored test chamber exposed to varying degrees of solar simulated illumination. Working with the University of Southern Mississippi's Business and Innovation Assistance Center (USM/BIAC), we are currently building a working museum display for the new INFINITY Science Museum that will demonstrate "growing food in space", using lettuce plants grown in a controlled environment that will, after harvest, be incorporated into salads sold at the museum restaurant. We've also consulted on vicarious ground truth-based satellite and aerial calibration/validation activities, and have performed automated image quality assessments of commercial satellite and aerial image products.
The Sensor: I2R is a strong proponent of collaborative projects. Some recent examples include the NASA 2010 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Phase 1 award and the transportation project with the Center for Traveler Information at Ole Miss. Can you elaborate on those collaborative efforts?
Pagnutti: We are always looking for ways to partner with people to collaborate on local and regional priority projects. We've teamed with researchers from the Instrumentation and Cryogenics Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi on a NASA STTR Phase 1 project to develop a near-continuous liquid cryogen fluid level monitoring capability based on noncontact optical range finder technology. We hope to continue development and demonstrate this technology on the propulsion test stands at Stennis Space Center during a Phase 2 project. Our project with the Center for Traveler Information at Ole Miss has us working closely with both the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and a student at the University. We're developing approaches to provide information about traffic conditions to travelers on their mobile devices, taking advantage of streaming traffic video available through MDOT. The student will be using the algorithm development work from this project as a basis for his Master's degree thesis in Engineering Science. When the project is complete, we will have a prototype system that will deliver traffic information to a user, allowing them to make decisions safely and efficiently.
The Sensor: Since opening an office at Stennis Space Center in 2007, the economy has been unpredictable at best. What challenges has I2R faced as a technology start-up company?
Pagnutti: As do many new start-up companies, we continuously have to maintain a balance between what we'd like to do and what we can afford to do. Every investment decision we make has to come at the expense of not doing something else. This delicate balance is only accentuated during difficult economic times, because there is minimal room for error. Contracts are at times delayed or even canceled due to funding shortfalls, so we have to be careful and continue to focus our investments and time where we think the payoff is greatest.
The Sensor: I2R is a member of the EIGS cluster and was one of the first to join the newly-formed Magnolia Business Alliance. What value do you think such an organization brings to the state and to your company?
Pagnutti: There is a tremendous amount of learning that takes place when you start your own business, about everything from developing products, strategic plans and customer relations to understanding contract vehicles, auditable accounting systems, legal agreements and the US patent filing process. Being part of a regional business cluster helps. It puts you in touch with other companies that are either more knowledgeable than you, or are in the process of investigating the same kinds of things. There are also individuals that you have access to through the cluster, such as Joe Graben, USM/BIAC's Director, that have been enormously helpful with business development. Joe provides the "MS-FAST SBIR News Alert", an electronic news bulletin that keeps cluster members up to date with the different agencies' SBIR/STTR programs and has given several seminars on how to get started in working with the government. Most importantly, Joe gets to know the various companies within the cluster, helps broker meaningful relationships and often finds specific opportunities for member companies to consider proposing against.
The Sensor: What do you see on the horizon for I2R?
Pagnutti: We'd like to get involved with more calibration/validation projects and services for both commercial and US government customers. A digital image is really just a pretty picture unless it's been calibrated. An image may not be as sharp or as high quality as possible unless it has been calibrated; and it is likely not reproducible if acquired by multiple cameras if they haven't each been calibrated. We also plan to continue strengthening our custom optical instrumentation line of business. The instruments and technology we are developing are applicable to several emerging markets requiring uniformly illuminated environmental chambers and we are positioning ourselves to be part of that exciting opportunity.
About Innovative Imaging & Research Corporation:
Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) is a small, women-owned business focused on developing specialized solid state lighting products and integrated imaging products to high technology industry, academic, and government customers. I2R provides improved geospatial products and services, such as developing calibration procedures and evaluating image product accuracies, to both industry and government customers. For more information, email
mpagnutti@i2rcorp.com.
