US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske and other TSA leaders have met with innovation partners to explore ways that TSA can make the most of commercial technology to get advanced solutions in the hands of employees faster.
TSA’s collaboration with Silicon Valley and federal partners aligns with the first strategic priority in the Administrator’s Intent 3.0 to “improve security and safeguard the transportation systems by being agile, innovative, rapidly deploying new solutions and maximizing the impact of our resources.”
TSA is tasked with efficiently and rapidly applying innovative processes and technology to outmatch complex and evolving threats to the nation’s transportation systems.
The Administrator was accompanied on his visits to innovation partners by chief innovation officer Steven Parker; deputy chief innovation officer Andy Haskins; enterprise support deputy executive assistant administrator Kim Hutchinson; chief information officer Yemi Oshinnaiye; counselor to the administrator Faiza Khan; Requirements, Capabilities and Analysis (RCA) senior technical advisor Charlie Hall; RCA identity management manager Jason Lim and RCA Innovation Task Force acting director Anca Alexandrescu.
The team met with commercial and federal partners to discuss new technologies and how innovation, creativity and agility impact mission success.
The team visited Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Apple, Google, the Defense Innovation Unit and In-Q-Tel and met with Stanford University Professor Dr. Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao, an expert in innovation and organizational behavior.
TSA communications has shared some details of the visits, noting that Google and Apple executives spoke with Pekoske regarding the use of state-issued digital IDs and their acceptance at the security checkpoint during the identity verification process. TSA is working with the tech giants so passengers can identify themselves with IDs stored on their phones at airports.
At the Defense Innovation Unit, the meeting focused on fielding and scaling commercial technology as well as areas for potential collaboration with TSA. The Administrator also discussed In-Q-Tel’s capability to pilot and adopt commercial solutions in support of TSA’s mission. The company partners with non-traditional and emerging investment-backed companies to adapt cutting edge commercial technology for the US government. At Stanford, Pekoske and Dr Rao discussed leading organizational change, building customer-focused cultures, organization design and empowering the workforce.
The Administrator also participated in a fireside chat on building a culture of innovation at the Center for Homeland Security Defense and Security – Alumni Professional Exchange event at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
A TSA Ventures strategy discussion led by the chief innovation officer and facilitated by advisory firm BMNT followed. Then Pekoske engaged with TSA’s Bay Area Lift Cells from three airports, who gathered to build relationships and work collectively on problem statements to bring to the TSA 2024 Lift Summit at TSA headquarters.
Chief innovation officer Parker summed up what the Silicon Valley tour accomplished for TSA: “An important objective of this trip was to further TSA’s adoption of a ‘fast follower’ strategy to harness commercial technologies. We are going to continue to collaborate with our innovation partners and tap into their capabilities and experience working with the private sector.”
In related news, TSA recently deployed credential authentication technology at JFK Airport. Click here to read the full story.