Wallenius Wilhelmsen And Partners Observe Live Stink Bug Testing At Virginia Tech
During Phase 1 Of BioSecurity Challenge
On January 21, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Ogilvy Consulting, and humble ventures gathered collaborators from across industries to observe live stink bug testing for the BioSecurity Challenge.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen has engaged stakeholders in its effort to reduce both cost and speed of detecting stink bugs at the port and on cargo.
We kicked off the day with an introduction and overview of the BioSecurity Challenge, followed by a test to attempt to detect live stink bugs utilizing the detection technology from a California-based startup, Koniku. Koniku builds co-processors made of biological cells that have many applications like digitizing the smell and flavor profile of food, locating explosive ordinance in fields, and contactless security. The day concluded with a stimulating summary of the testing and subsequent steps.
Virginia Tech Professor of Entomology, Chris Bergh, provided the stink bugs and hosted the demonstration at the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester, Virginia. Other attendees included:
USDA
Laura Nixon, PhD
Koniku
Renaud Renault, Ph.D. Neuroengineering
Tim Wandell, Head of Business Development
humble ventures
Ajit Verghese, Co-founder, and General Partner
Harry Alford, Co-founder
Wallenius Wilhelmsen
Alex Conjour, VP of Port Operations
Roopesh Das, Head of Digital Accelerator
Michael Palumbo, Head of Partnerships
Kjell Hegstad, Chief Innovation Officer (consultant from Agiletrailblazers)
We launched the BioSecurity Challenge in December 2019, issuing a call for innovative ideas to curtail the spread of stink bugs in cargo. The live stink bug test gives a practical exhibition of the multitude of potential ways to detect invasive species, but also the vast array of partners that can participate in the solution. As we continue to assess all of the creative submissions we receive during Phase 1 of the BioSecurity Challenge, we will share our initial learnings here and on the Challenge Site.
