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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 3 M A N U FA C T U R I N G guys had a solid plan. We were going to step up and help them to get from point A to point B." Cargo theft An estimated 250 million containers are transported across the seas with over $7 trillion worth of goods, according to the World Shipping Council. Although the pandemic disrupted ocean transport, leaving containers tied up in storage and vessels stuck outside ports, "we still moved more volumes than ever, and kept supply chains moving," says the council. "As demand normalized and capacity was freed up, rates and service levels have come back to pre-pandemic levels." But with all that valuable cargo, theft is a multi- billion dollar problem. In the U.S., cargo theft taking place anywhere in the transportation pipeline — including containers and facilities related to water, land and air transporta- tion — is a $15 billion to $35 billion problem, accord- ing to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Composite construction UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center's team, led by Anthony Viselli, saw that the composites construction method was a great way to embed ultra- thin, high-tech detection technology within the panels that comprise the shipping container itself. Composites would also be lighter than steel, yet just as strong and visually indistinguishable. e embedded sensor system detects penetra- tions as small as one inch. ere's a door-opening detection system and a two-way communications system for real-time tracking and monitoring. e system was developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, also through funding from Homeland Security's Advanced Research Projects Agency. e hardware and security system are designed to be modular and expandable so that additional security features and sensors can be integrated into the basic system. A proof-of-concept scale model resulted in further Homeland Security funding for full-scale development. Once the expansion is up and running, Global Secure will produce 1,000 40-foot containers per year. In all, the project has received $30 million in government funding. Leave your mark on the world. Make an impression before your clients even walk in the door. Welch Sign is Maine's premiere full-service sign vendor. Start your design at welchsign.com. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P ROV I D E D P H O T O / U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E The city of Old Town is building an additional 15,000-square-foot building for Global Secure to expand into at the same location. F O C U S

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