The Forge Institute is partnering with the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA-Little Rock) on applied research for national defense projects, including cybersecurity. The partnership is aimed at boosting competition research opportunities in Arkansas, leading to economic growth.
As part of the partnership, the Forge Institute will be collaborating with university researchers to provide access to increased research opportunities.
“We are excited to partner with UA-Little Rock and UA-Fayetteville to develop innovative solutions that will help address our nation’s complex and growing cyber and national security challenges. By connecting to and building upon the existing cyber and defense sector in the State, we are establishing a foundation to drive innovation that will directly lead to high-paying jobs for Arkansans. I’m excited about this collaboration and how it will better position our state and country to defend against advanced cyber adversaries and grow the State’s economy,” Forge Institute chairman and CEO Lee Watson said in a statement.
The initial collaborators in this partnership will be Professor Philip Huff from UA-Little Rock and the University of Arkansas’ Dr. Chris Farnell. In this project, Huff and Farnell will work on next-generation cybersecurity defensive capabilities from industrial control systems. Huff and Farnell will utilize the UA Little Rock Cyber Gym and the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission testbed at the University of Arkansas as part of their research.
READ MORE: UA Little Rock, Forge Institute Participating in NSA-Funded Cybersecurity Initiative