Bahareh Haji-Saeed is the Technology Scouting director for the FAST Labs™ organization, the research and development (R&D) arm of BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the defense and aerospace industry.
Prior to joining BAE Systems, she served as a civilian employee for the U.S. Air Force at Hanscom Air Force Base. She began her career as a research scientist at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and later held various chief engineer roles. Haji-Saeed holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from University of Massachusetts, Lowell, specializing in adaptive optics and nonlinear optical image processing.
We sat down with Bahareh to discuss technology trends, external innovation, and how Technology Scouting fuels BAE Systems’ mission.
As a director for FAST Labs' Technology Scouting organization, can you introduce us to your organization and its mission?
Bahareh: FAST Labs is the research and development arm of Electronic Systems, collaborating with organizations like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to push the boundaries of innovation. Our Technology Scouting team plays a vital role in driving this mission by identifying and harnessing disruptive external technology to accelerate innovation.
We achieve this by forging strong partnerships with cutting-edge businesses, local innovation hubs, and universities. Unlike traditional venture capital models, our approach focuses on providing technical expertise, market insights, and defense industry knowledge to promising startups and small businesses. By doing so, we create a roadmap for these companies to become our suppliers, mitigating market risks and unlocking financing opportunities.
This collaborative model enables us to tap into new technologies with both commercial and defense applications, delivering game-changing solutions to our customers while fostering a thriving defense innovation ecosystem.
What role does external collaboration play in driving innovation and meeting the needs of warfighters?
Bahareh: BAE Systems’ mission, "We Protect Those Who Protect Us®," guides everything we do. We recognize that we don't need to develop every solution in-house. Instead, we actively seek out external partners and technologies to accelerate the delivery of mission-critical capabilities.
Our external innovation initiative leverages commercial R&D and disruptive business models to quickly address technology gaps and meet the urgent needs of our customers. We achieve this by collaborating with startups, small businesses, universities, and other large corporations to rapidly identify and transition emerging technologies into products and services.
What sets our approach apart is that we focus on partnerships rather than acquisitions. We work with small companies and other innovators to mature promising technologies into joint offerings that benefit our customers. By doing so, we gain access to new technologies that can enhance our products, while our partners gain a path to new markets and valuable mentorship on navigating the defense and aerospace industries.
Can you share some of the ways Technology Scouting collaborates with outside organizations?
Bahareh: We engage with external partners in a variety of ways to identify and develop technologies. We connect promising startups and small businesses with venture capital investors, helping them secure funding to bring their dual-use (defense and commercial) technologies to market. We also partner with commercial accelerators and incubators to mature technology and facilitate introductions to government customers through the Small Business Innovation Research program and Other Transaction Authority contracts. Additionally, we collaborate with small businesses and universities on large government contracts for R&D, including Contract Research and Development (CRAD), and provide direct funding for research through Internal R&D (IRAD).
These collaborations result in many success stories. Through our strong relationship with DARPA's Small Business Program Office, we were recently introduced to Redpoll.ai, a company with innovative artificial intelligence solutions. By working together, we won the DARPA A3ML program, which aims to develop anticipatory and adaptive anti-money laundering technologies. This partnership showcases the potential for collaborative innovation and rapid technology development.
What's on the horizon for FAST Labs and the Technology Scouting team?
Bahareh: While some of our most significant R&D breakthroughs are integrated into classified systems, our FAST Labs organization has a rich history of technology advancements in several key areas. We've developed custom microelectronics that power many of today's leading electronic warfare systems, as well as advanced autonomy capabilities and combined hardware and software solutions that deliver discriminating performance.
Looking ahead, we're excited to continue our work in these areas and explore new frontiers. Since 2022, we've been partnering with organizations like FedTech and MassChallenge to develop custom accelerators that foster innovation and collaboration. We'll be building on this momentum and hosting more of these in the future.
Our Technology Scouting team is also committed to engaging with the innovation ecosystem through panel discussions, conferences, and other events that bring together small businesses and industry leaders. We encourage anyone interested in collaborating with us to reach out through our Technology Scouting website.
Whether you're a startup, a small business, or an innovator with a great idea, we invite you to join the conversation and explore opportunities for partnership and collaboration. Together, we can drive the development of next-generation technologies that make a real difference.