BOSSIER CITY, La. — The Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans have formed a new partnership that will support Louisiana’s security during natural disasters.

CIC has partnered to provide continuity of operations (COOP) space for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans when natural disasters threaten the Louisiana coastline.

“In the event we have a hurricane, this partnership gives us options to pre-stage and keep a continuity of operations out of the storm’s path,” explained Capt. Gregory Callaghan, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. “This means we can maintain communications and accountability prior to and during the storm until we can move operations back to the affected area.”

CIC President Kevin Nolten explained that this partnership is another way the CIC is fulfilling its mission.

“This partnership with the US Coast Guard demonstrates the CIC's ability to support a wide range of needs across the federal government,” he said. “The Coast Guard plays such an important role along the gulf coast and in the inner-coastal water ways in South Louisiana and we are excited to have their team in the CIC.”

Callaghan said the Coast Guard approached the CIC about utilizing its facility for COOP space, calling it “fantastic.”

“It gives us the space we need with the security that’s ideal for an event like this,” he said. “We look at this as a fantastic partnership moving forward.”

Partnerships with the U.S. government are nothing new for the CIC.

The CIC’s innovation partnership with Air Force Global Strike Command has yielded a $278.67 Million impact. Additionally, the CIC’s cybersecurity curriculum for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has impacted 30,000-plus teachers across all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

“The CIC will continue to drive impact as one of the nation’s leaders in infrastructure, research, education, and technological innovation and doing so with a diverse portfolio of partners,” pledged Nolten.

ABOUT THE CYBER INNOVATION CENTER

Cyber Innovation Center (CIC), located in Bossier City, Louisiana, is the anchor of the 3,000-acre National Cyber Research Park and serves as the catalyst for the development and expansion of a knowledge-based workforce throughout the region. As a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, CIC fosters collaboration among its partners and accelerates technology, research, and development. One of its primary missions is to develop a sustainable knowledge-based workforce that can support the growing needs of government, industry, and academic partners.

ABOUT U.S. COAST GUARD SECTOR NEW ORLEANS

U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and supports a wide range of Coast Guard operations across Southeast Louisiana to include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, aids to navigation, and ports, waterways, and coastal security. The Southeast Louisiana region is a dynamic operating area that is heavily trafficked by commercial and recreational vessels and has a high concentration of regulated facilities. The Mississippi River and its tributaries have an estimated annual impact of $735 billion on the U.S. economy, and the closure of any portion of this critical waterway or its tributaries can have a catastrophic impact on not only our national economy, but also global markets. To meet the demands of this increasingly complex operating environment, Sector New Orleans leverages frameworks for coordination and cooperation that emphasize the importance of a holistic port community approach to preparedness, response, and recovery. Despite these challenges, the 1,100 active duty, reservists, civilians, and auxiliary workforce at Sector New Orleans are dedicated to promoting maritime safety and security, supporting the nation’s economy, and fostering relationships within the ports.