Published: 03.21.2009

Tucson’s Knowledge Computing acquires tech firm

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson-based Knowledge Computing Corp. — maker of Coplink law-enforcement software — announced Friday that it has acquired Visiphor Corp., a Canadian-based, law-enforcement-technology firm.

Knowledge Computing will acquire all of Visiphor’s intellectual property and physical assets, which include Visiphor’s Briyante Integration Engine — a facial-, scene- and image-recognition technology.

Knowledge Computing CEO Robert Griffin wouldn’t say how much the all-cash deal cost. The company now has 90 Tucson-based employees and 21 Canada-based employees, Griffin said.

Published: 03.21.2009

Raytheon wins production pact for new glide bomb

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The U.S. Navy has awarded Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems a $106 million contract for production of a new version of a precision-guided glide bomb.

The contract for production of the Joint Standoff Weapon C-1 (JSOW C-1) includes funding for production of more than 350 weapons, container cables and test units, the company said. The award also includes $17.2 million to transition the factory from producing the earlier JSOW C to the JSOW C-1.

The JSOW is a family of unpowered, air-to-ground weapons that uses satellite and inertial navigation to guides the weapon to the target. The JSOW C-1 version adds the ability to track moving maritime targets and a two-way data communications link.

Production is set to begin in October, and final delivery to the Navy and selected allies is expected to begin in March 2010.

Published: 03.18.2009

Tucson firm wins German contract

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

A German company has signed a contract with The Offshore Group of Tucson to provide outsourced manufacturing support, or “shelter” services in Saltillo, in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

AKT Altmarker Kunststoff-Technik GmbH of Gardelegen, Germany, has signed a lease for 34,822 square feet of industrial space at The Offshore Group’s La Angostura Industrial Park.

AKT will employ about 83 employees manufacturing injection-molded parts for automotive industry applications, The Offshore Group said

Published: 03.13.2009

Defense giant buying Tucson drone maker

By Enric Volante

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Defense giant BAE Systems will buy Tucson-based Advanced Ceramics Research Inc. to gain the local company’s technology in small, unmanned aircraft, the companies said Thursday.

The acquisition through a stock purchase is worth $14.7 million, said BAE spokesman Greg Caires.

Privately held Advanced Ceramics Research, which employs 60 people and is headquartered at 3292 E. Hemisphere Loop, will become part of BAE Systems Inc., headquartered in Rockville, Md. BAE is one of the world’s largest defense contractors and has facilities in Phoenix.

The companies hope to have regulatory approval and close the deal by the end of June.

Caires called it too early to say what impact the deal will have on employees in Tucson.

Published: 03.11.2009

Sunquest wins FDA clearance for software

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson-based Sunquest Information Systems Inc., a maker of health-care industry diagnostic systems, announced clearance Tuesday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a software application.

The Sunquest Blood Bank application is designed to increase patient safety during blood collection and transfusions.

“Our blood administration system demonstrates how information technology can help healthcare organizations achieve compliance with industry standards while making lab processes more efficient and of highest quality,” said Kelly Feist, a Sunquest vice president.

Monday, March 9, 2009, 2:48pm MST

Raytheon Co. has received a $30 million missile order from the U.S. Navy to provide support and engineering services for SM-2 Standard Missiles that are sold to U.S. allies.

Work on the contract will be centered in Tucson where Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) has its missile division. The Pentagon announced the $30 million order Monday.

The SM-2, one of the Navy’s primary surface-to-air missiles, is used against enemy aircraft, ships and other missiles.

U.S. has sold SM-2 missiles to Japan, Spain, Taiwan and South Korea.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Phoenix Business Journal – by Angela Gonzales Phoenix Business Journal

Jim Poulin/Phoenix Business Journal

Kay Wing of Swan Rehab in Phoenix uses technology from Kinetic Muscles Inc. to help patient Tammy Hamill with her therapy. Kinetic Muscles was certified for the angel investor tax credit and attracted a bit of angel funding last year.View Larger

Venture capital was scarce for biotech startups in Arizona long before the big push in 2002 to create a hub in the state.

But that is starting to change with two recent investments.

A $20 million bioscience venture capital group called Translational Accelerator LLC, or Trac, was launched in February to target early stage companies in that industry, while a Los Angeles biotech company plans to infuse $21.5 million into that sector in Arizona.

Monday, March 2, 2009, 11:03am MST

Phoenix and Tucson rank among the top 10 U.S. cities for defense jobs, according to research from ClearanceJobs.com.

The employment/headhunting firm said Monday that Phoenix and Tucson are among the top locations for defense and security jobs. Other cities on the top 10 list include: Washington, Orlando and Tampa, Fla.,, Huntsville, Ala., Dallas, Colorado Springs, Colo., San Diego and Los Angeles.

The Phoenix area is home to a number of major defense contractors including Boeing Co. and General Dynamics as well as suppliers of armor for vehicles and personnel. Raytheon has its missile division based in Tucson.

Defense contractors’ employment levels remain fairly stabile and some are hiring even as industries such as banking, housing, retail and construction cut jobs.

ClearanceJobs.com.job site is arm of Dice Holdings Inc. (NYSE:DHX).