Veritainer and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory launch joint R&D project for perfecting cargo scanning system

 Veritainer, of St. Helena, CA, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), of Livermore, CA recently announced a Cooperative R&D agreement for perfecting Veritainer’s Crane Mounted Scanning (CNS) system.

Veritainer designs and delivers crane-mounted patented shipping container radiation scanning technology. The system is equipped with an isotope identification capability and allows customs officials to scan 100% of the cargos without disrupting the flow of commerce.  The agreement signed with LLNL will be used to refine and enhance Veritainer’s technology.

The R&D project has been signed for three and a half years and will require $4 million worth of funding. The aim  is to enhance Veritainer’s neutron and gamma radiation detection sensitivity to protect borders more efficiently.

John Alioto, CEO of Veritainer, welcomes the agreement warmly: ““This agreement with an entity as accomplished and respected as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is obviously a big step forward for our firm, the CMS technology and the overall security of the global supply chain. Together, we will optimize the existing technology and continue to develop the overall CMS solution.”

LLNL is a national security laboratory that applies its competencies to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrence, to reduce or counter threats to national and global security, and to protect America’s security interest in general. One important concern since 9/11 is the possibility that terrorists might bring nuclear materials into the U.S. Veritainer’s technology aims at preventing that from happening.

Steven Kreek, leader of LLNL’s Nuclear Detection and Countermeasures Research Program, stated that in the context of the agreement, the laboratory would use its expertise not only to optimize the sensitivity of the CMS, but also to leverage the platform to deliver an effective counterterrorism system.

“This technology occupies a unique security niche in that it will be used to scan cargo that is passed between ships, known as transhipment, that doesn’t actually enter a country until reaching its final destination. This technology will help ensure that cargo containers are not used for transporting radiological or nuclear threats,” Kreek added.