LINCOLN, Mass., March 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Northstar Campus, a division of the UMass Lowell Research Institute and home to the new NEXUS Center, is welcoming Alex Brickner to the team. Brickner is the new director of the organization’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Center of Excellence. Brickner will be working within the local innovation community, helping to direct entrepreneurs to resources within the Department of Defense’s ecosystem.
“Alex is drawing upon his experience as a dual use startup founder who built a successful company by collaborating with various Department of Defense-related organizations,” said Matthew McSwain, the founder and executive director of UMass Lowell Research Institute and the home of Northstar Campus. “He knows what these resources did for his business, and he can help our members and the local startup community better understand it as well.”
Brickner is joining the team from SimpleSense, a technology startup he co-founded that facilitates information sharing between the government, military and private parties during emergencies. Brickner helped the company enter the government sector through a military accelerator; receive Air Force funding (two Phase I and two Phase II); and secure several military contracts.
“The Department of Defense is interested in numerous emerging tech areas, many of which overlap with Boston regional strengths,” said Brickner. “I’m looking forward to working closely with members of the local innovation community, including startups which could work with the DOD, and help prepare them for success.”
What is the Northstar Campus? And the New NEXUS Center?
Northstar Campus is focused on accelerating innovation to support national defense, Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR), small business, and the local and national economy.
Northstar Campus offers:
- Conference rooms, flexible office space, and scrum space for meetings, events, and day-to-day work, including both classified and unclassified operations.
- Exposure to advanced innovative technology, events, and experts.
- Professional, technical, and administrative (including funding and grants) guidance and mentorship to startups in the defense, government, and commercial markets.
The new NEXUS Center at Northstar Campus brings together a broad range of innovation and acquisition representatives from across the defense services. These organizations include the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), SOCOM, SOFWERX, NavalX, Army Futures Command, DIU, AFWERX, MIT LL, Draper Labs and MITRE and represents the first location in the country that these innovation entities reside under one roof. Their presence in the facility enables businesses, non-profits, universities, and other Massachusetts entities to better understand and define DoD needs, requirements, and programs. The Nexus Center at Northstar Campus represents a new way of thinking of Defense and showcases regional technology and talent the DoD can leverage.
About Northstar Campus
Founded in 2020, the Northstar Campus provides a neutral 501(c)3 eco-system where private industry, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, and investors can meet and engage with the aerospace and defense stakeholders. By eliminating barriers between industry, academia, and government, Northstar aims to create community, spark innovation, share resources and knowledge, and stimulate business growth. Learn more on the Northstar Campus website.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0bc5f01-dfd0-4763-bba9-c6c5b9112fc9
