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Our Mission
The mission of VCSI is to provide innovative engineering solutions and science applications for NASA, DoD, and other government agencies. VCSI will provide technical solutions to vital government clients in an efficient, cost-effective, and timely manner. The establishment of VCSI will enable the government, industry, and academic communities in the Huntsville region to better compete for critical NASA and DoD R&D functions and activities, many of which are currently outsourced to other regions of the United States.
To meet its mission requirements, VCSI will:
- - Augment the in-house research and applications capabilities of DoD, NASA, and other federal agencies
- - Leverage the resources and R&D investments of government, industry, and academia
- - Develop in-house technical assets in significant technology arenas
- - Facilitate collaborative research projects for major business assets in Alabama and the region
- - Enable the integration of university researchers and their students in critical R&D activities
- - Provide troubleshooting capabilities for technical challenges
- - Permit access to technical and R&D assets as needed — a national reachback capability
- - Create a new, cost-effective model for addressing customer requirements
- - Offer professional advisory, research, educational, or development services, or related services to governments or universities concerned with public management, including technology development and technology transfer activities that benefit management of government intellectual property
VCSI will integrate industry member firms and other regional and national research assets - including universities and government research organizations - into high performance project teams. These teams constitute the value chain for VCSI that will convert their combined R&D assets, knowledge, know-how, and experience into technology demonstrators aligned with government mission requirements.
To execute our mission, VCSI will develop a value chain, based on customer requirements, that enables activities ranging from concept development to product development to future discovery (Figure 2). During phases I and II of VCSI development, member organizations will control the higher end of the value chain, but with the development of in-house technical skills and the augmentation of staff and assets in phases III and IV, VCSI plans to provide hardware and software solutions. During these latter phases, VCSI will continue to optimize the use of assets of industry member firms and strategic partners. The fundamental concept of capitalizing on the strengths and capabilities of participants is key to the near-term and long-term success of VCSI.
In executing this mission, VCSI will focus during Phase I on transitioning technologies in readiness levels 2-6 to readiness levels 6-9 (Figure 3). To accomplish this goal, VCSI will establish a highly diversified Alabama-based member organization, formulate strategic alliances with significant national R&D organizations, and establish relationships with important federal customers.
In addition to targeting existing technology and science assets and portfolios in other organizations, VCSI will develop in-house technical assets and core staff in focused technology areas. This will enhance our position in the marketplace and our ability to form strategic alliances with members and strategic partners.