WIREDGOV

Dstl and Ploughshare Innovations have licensed new software to understand chemical and biological threats.

New software developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and licensed to Riskaware by Ploughshare Innovations will allow emergency responders and military commanders to respond more effectively to chemical and biological incidents and in turn reduce the risk to the public and save lives.

Called the Hazard Assessment Simulation and Prediction (HASP) Suite it accurately models how hazardous materials released in towns, cities and open areas disperse. This will help emergency responders by predicting how any Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threat will spread and allow them to manage a response to help contain the threat and protect the population.

Developed over two decades, the HASP Suite provides hazard predictions in urban environments in a matter of minutes, greatly improving upon previous models. It also takes into consideration the interactions between indoor and outdoor dispersion and as well as estimating the source parameters, such as location, discharge time, and the amount of substance released.

The HASP Suite will be available as a standalone product from Riskaware from June this year. It will also be available in a next generation CBRN information management system, known as EuroSIM CBRN.

John Bishop, Managing Director from Riskaware said:

The HASP Suite is an excellent capability and we are both proud and excited to be taking it to market. It will also support our goal to transform Riskware’s business from being a CBRN prediction software developer into a truly global company in CBRN information management.

Ploughshare’s CEO, James Kirby, said:

We are pleased another Dstl innovation will be made available to industry and one which will improve the operational effectiveness of teams facing CBRN threats. This deal further demonstrates how Ploughshare maximises the MOD’s investment in Science & Technology by delivering capability to front-line services.

More information on Dstl Intellectual Property available for licence through Ploughshare Innovations.