Seatrec Names Pentagon Alum Jason Stack to Advisory Board
Seatrec Names Pentagon Alum Jason Stack to Advisory Board
Extensive experience in developing and managing advanced autonomous naval and maritime systems will guide the commercialization and deployment of Seatec’s technology across the defense, research, and Blue Economy domains
VISTA, Calif. – WEBWIRE – Thursday, April 4, 2024. Seatrec, a renewable energy company that harvests energy from temperature differences in the environment, today announces the appointment of Jason Stack, Ph.D., an engineer and former Deputy Director of the Navy’s Unmanned Task Force at the Pentagon, to its advisory board.
“We’re rapidly commercializing autonomous systems powered by the ocean’s temperature differences for critical research and defense, as well as those that will help expand the Blue Economy,” points out Yi Chao, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Seatrec. “Jason’s unparalleled expertise gained from a distinguished career in the US Navy is a tremendous resource to help us accomplish our mission.”
Stack’s time at the Pentagon included multiple formal appointments within NATO including the US National Representative for Systems, Concepts, and Integration within the NATO Science & Technology Organization. Following his role at the Pentagon, he is co-founding a startup in the maritime space - still in stealth - and works as the company’s CTO.
He began his career designing and prototyping heavy equipment and industrial electronics at two manufacturing companies before earning his Ph.D. and moving to the Department of Defense (DoD). During his two-decade career at the DoD, Stack led programs at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in maritime platform, sensor, perception, effector, and autonomy development. He then transitioned to an executive role where he acted as ONR’s Technical Director and served as director of the Ocean, Atmosphere, and Space Research Division before taking up his post at the Pentagon.
“Autonomous systems hold great potential for filling important capability gaps across a host of research, defense, and maritime missions but a reliance on batteries limits their endurance,” explains Stack. “Seatrec’s technology provides abundant power that is clean and sustainable to free those systems to reach their potential by providing robust function sets with near limitless endurance.”
Seatrec’s pioneering energy harvesting system uses phase change materials to harness energy from temperature differences between the ocean’s various depths. These materials contract and expand creating pressure that’s captured and converted into electricity. The clean, virtually limitless power enables scientists to integrate power-intensive sensors into its infiniTE™ float that were previously restricted by battery capabilities and lifespans.
Seatrec counts the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research among its early backers and in 2022 launched a project in partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School to integrate hydrophones into autonomous, ocean-going robots.
In 2023, the company was selected for the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) Propel Hawai’i Accelerator. The program is a partnership between the NSIN and Decisive Point in collaboration with the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet—the world’s largest fleet command encompassing 100 million square miles. Seatrec was selected from a competitive field of over 200 early-stage companies to join an elite cohort of enterprises developing cutting-edge technologies to help the modernization needs of the US Navy and the broader DoD community.
About Seatrec
Seatrec designs and manufactures energy harvesting systems that generate electricity from naturally occurring temperature differences in ocean waters. This renewable energy can be used to power deep water oceanographic research equipment such as floats, gliders, and autonomous underwater vehicles, resulting in the most scalable, cost-effective deep ocean data collection possible. Incorporated in 2016 by CEO, Dr. Yi Chao, Seatrec’s technology originated at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, to provide clean power for remote off-grid locations. The company is headquartered in Vista, CA. Visit us at www.seatrec.com and @seatrecinc.
Media Contact
Sean Yokomizo
Seatrec, Inc.
sean.yokomizo@seatrec.com
+1 925.878.1200
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Seatrec Names Retired Rear Admiral John Neagley to Advisory Board
Seatrec Names Retired Rear Admiral John Neagley to Advisory Board
The 35-year veteran of the US Navy brings unique experience in leading organizations and teams in developing and operationalizing complex maritime technologies with particular focus on the Blue Economy
Seatrec, a renewable energy company that harvests energy from temperature differences in the environment, today announces the appointment of retired Rear Admiral and Founder/Principal of Blue Native Consulting, John Neagley, to its advisory board.
“John’s long and distinguished career in the Navy saw him successfully lead complex operations and the development of new technologies amid high stakes and high standards,” explains Yi Chao, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Seatrec. “His understanding of what it takes to succeed in a maritime environment and his passion for developing the Blue Economy is a perfect fit with our mission of providing clean, renewable energy to existing and novel applications.”
Neagley’s three-and-a-half decades of experience in the Navy saw him command a Navy Destroyer and serve on a number of surface combatants, including those that participated in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Desert Fox. Following his time at sea, Neagley managed a host of Naval research, development, and procurement projects, including acting as the executive officer for Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS). Before his retirement, he oversaw the Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) that set the course and scope of responsibilities for both manned and unmanned systems.
“The maritime environment is demanding and providing clean, renewable power to the most remote areas has always been a limiting factor,” points out Neagley. “Seatrec’s technology opens up exciting possibilities for maritime applications and for expanding the Blue Economy.”
Seatrec’s pioneering energy harvesting system uses phase change materials to harness energy from temperature differences between the ocean’s various depths. These materials contract and expand creating pressure that’s captured and converted into electricity. The clean, virtually limitless power enables scientists to integrate power-intensive sensors into its infiniTE™ float that typically require shore-supplied power or direct ship support via tethering.
The company counts the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research among its early backers and recently launched a project in partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School to study the impact of noise pollution on the ocean environments powered by Seatrec’s technology.
About Seatrec
Seatrec designs and manufactures energy harvesting systems that generate electricity from naturally occurring temperature differences in ocean waters. This renewable energy can be used to power deep water oceanographic research equipment such as floats, gliders, and autonomous underwater vehicles, resulting in the most scalable, cost-effective deep ocean data collection possible. Incorporated in 2016 by CEO, Dr. Yi Chao, Seatrec’s technology originated at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, to provide clean power for remote off-grid locations. The company is headquartered in Vista, CA. Visit us at www.seatrec.com and @seatrecinc.
Media Contact
Sean Yokomizo
Seatrec, Inc.
sean.yokomizo@seatrec.com
+1 925.878.1200
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Seatrec Wins Slot at NSIN Propel Hawai’i Accelerator
Seatrec Wins Slot at NSIN Propel Hawai’i Accelerator
Competitive program focused on fast-tracking next-generation applications for DoD modernization selects Seatrec to speed deployment of its infiniTE float that creates electricity from the ocean’s temperature differences
Seatrec, a renewable energy company that harvests energy from temperature differences in the environment, today announces its selection to the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) Propel Hawai’i Accelerator. The program is a partnership between the NSIN and Decisive Point in collaboration with the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet—the world’s largest fleet command encompassing 100 million square miles. The goal is to enable the development of next-generation applications of emerging dual-use technology for government and defense.
Seatrec was selected from a competitive field of over 200 early-stage companies and will join an elite cohort of 12 enterprises developing cutting-edge technologies to help the modernization needs of the US Navy and the broader DoD community. The program will help speed the development of Seatrec’s recently launched InfiniTE float - a first-of-its-kind modular platform featuring the ability to mix and match an expanded array of power-hungry sensors - for DoD-related applications.
“Providing clean, renewable energy to applications in the far-flung reaches of the Pacific remains a critical challenge for the research, government, and defense communities,” points out Yi Chao, Ph.D., the CEO and Founder of Seatrec. “Participating in the NSIN Propel Hawai’i Accelerator is an exciting opportunity to engage directly with end-users to better understand their challenges and quickly develop real-world solutions.”
Seatrec’s pioneering energy harvesting system harnesses temperature differences between the ocean’s various depths to drive the phase change of specific materials. These materials contract and expand creating pressure that’s captured and converted into electricity. The clean, virtually limitless power expands the reach and endurance of applications that often require shore-supplied power or direct ship support via tethering.
Participation in the three-month accelerator program provides cohort companies with an opportunity to build a foundation for doing business with the DoD, and work closely with the accelerator team to design pilots around the national security applications of their technology. Selected companies will also gain access to a robust network of private investors and commercial partners.
Selection to the NSIN Propel Hawai’i Accelerator follows on the heels of a notable year of partnerships for Seatrec. The Naval Postgraduate School recently partnered with Seatrec to study the ocean soundscape and chart the impact of noise pollution on Blue Whales by using a hydrophone-equipped InfiniTE™ float. Also, Seatrec and The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project signed an MOU to launch Project NEMO (Novel Echosounder to Map the Ocean) to map the gaps of the global seafloor in remote areas where it is too costly for ships to access.
About Seatrec
Seatrec designs and manufactures energy harvesting systems that generate electricity from naturally occurring temperature differences in ocean waters. This renewable energy can be used to power deep water oceanographic research equipment such as floats, gliders, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), resulting in the most scalable, cost-effective deep ocean data collection possible. Incorporated in 2016 by CEO, Dr. Yi Chao, Seatrec’s technology originated at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, to provide clean power for remote off-grid locations. The company is headquartered in Vista, CA. Visit us at www.seatrec.com and @seatrecinc.
Media Contact
Sean Yokomizo
Seatrec, Inc.
sean.yokomizo@seatrec.com
+1 925.878.1200
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