In this guest post, the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Forensics and Criminal Investigations Program, which coordinates our Opioid/Fentanyl Detection Research, provides an update on how our cross-sector collaborations are working to end an epidemic.
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, partnerships in research and development have become essential for driving innovation and addressing complex challenges. Collaborations between academia, industry, and government entities foster a diverse exchange of ideas, resources, and expertise, enabling breakthroughs that might be impossible in isolation. By pooling knowledge and capabilities, these partnerships can accelerate the development of new technologies and solutions.
Recently, S&T’s Forensics and Criminal Investigations Program joined colleagues from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and multiple partners from the Department of Energy National Laboratories (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory) in the field to ideate on new technologies to detect and disrupt the flow of fentanyl into and within the United States. We were also joined by the Homeland Security Engineering and Development Institute, or HSSEDI, one of our Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.
Our partnerships with CBP and HSI allowed a group of highly skilled technologists to see firsthand the challenges that exist when working to detect and disrupt the flow of illicit fentanyl in the commercial air cargo environment. We learned from our Chicago Department of Aviation partners that Chicago O’Hare International Airport handles more than one million metric tons of international freight, express, and mail each year. This is only a fraction of the cargo examined by both CBP and HSI worldwide. Technologies developed to combat the illicit fentanyl supply chain must be cost-effective and in no way impact the critical flow of legitimate commerce.
Alongside our partners, we discussed ways to more effectively use non-intrusive inspection, or NII, and explored ways to adapt proven explosive detection techniques to illicit fentanyl. We also examined ways to identify further and incorporate cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies.
In the coming weeks, the team will work to identify which potential technologies will offer the most cost-effective and impactful return on investment. We will use that information to advocate for support and funding to move our research forward.
Thank you once again to S&T’s operational partners at both CBP and HSI, who work night and day tirelessly to secure the United States from the threats posed by illicit fentanyl and other forms of transnational organized crime. It is an honor to partner with you in this vital work.
