South Coast Regional Innovation Engine: Cybersecurity Solutions for the Maritime Transportation Ecosystem

The South Coast Regional Innovation Engine seeks to conduct research to understand the interdependencies, vulnerabilities and risks in the maritime transportation ecosystem in order to develop technologies to materially improve cybersecurity through partnerships with academia, industry and government.

Rick Siebenaler, Scott Marshall, Dr. Eric Skipper, Col. Warren Parker, Ian Scott, David Rhodes and Dr. Brian Canada participated in a press event in Beaufort announcing the university’s Maritime Cybersecurity grant.

Outcomes

The outcome of this Development Award will more clearly define the maritime cybersecurity needs and gaps that currently exist, innovations and solutions required to address these gaps, and establish tangible innovation, technology and workforce development plans needed to address industry challenges. These insights and plans will serve as a foundation for a subsequent Regional Innovation Engine award by the NSF to translate these initial planning efforts into execution.

Broader Impact

We envision a world class Innovation Engine for maritime cybersecurity education, research, experimentation, investment and commercialization of products with regional and national impact. The project’s initial focus will be the Port of Charleston. Locally, the project will be known as “Maritime Cybersecurity Institute (MCI)”.

In the News

• "USC Beaufort Awarded $1M for Maritime Security, Aims for Another $160M,” Post & Couriers, June 12, 2023.

Support from Elected Officials

For more information, contact:

• To receive our email newsletter, send your name and email address to:
  maritimecyber@uscb.edu
• Read our announcement "USCB Receives $1 million NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Award"
• Learn more about NSF’s Regional Innovation Engine Development Awards Program

NSF Engines Development Award Number: 2305684