Xtremis to open high-tech telecommunications lab in Washington County
Technology startup Xtremis, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas, has plans to open a first-of-its-kind innovation campus for the rapid advancement of electromagnetic spectrum technologies.
It’s expected to position Northwest Arkansas as a center of research and economic development in the emerging field of electromagnetic spectrum technology.
By Jeff Della Rosa
Talk Business & Politics
echnology startup Xtremis, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas, has plans to open a first-of-its-kind innovation campus for the rapid advancement of electromagnetic spectrum technologies.
It’s expected to position Northwest Arkansas as a center of research and economic development in the emerging field of electromagnetic spectrum technology.
The Devil’s Den Proving Ground in southern Washington County will transform the site of a former nuclear test reactor into an open-air laboratory to develop technologies to improve the performance and resilience of wireless devices and communications. An event to unveil plans for the Devil’s Den Proving Ground is set for April 22 at the UA. The U.S. Army Pathfinder program and Civil Military Innovation Institute are project supporters.
In August, the UA joined the Pathfinder program, an initiative overseen by the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory and carried out by the Civil Military Innovation Institute. Pathfinder provides money for researchers to accelerate the development of new military systems through prototyping and real-world experiments. The UA’s initial Pathfinder work included collaborating with Xtremis to develop a new generation of spectrum technologies for the Army.
Kian Hassani, chief of staff of Xtremis, said the startup was spun out of Vanderbilt University in 2021 to commercialize technology from the university via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) challenge program related to spectrum technologies.
According to Vanderbilt University, another Pathfinder program participant, technology Xtremis looks to commercialize comprises advanced dynamic spectrum reconnaissance, an artificial intelligence-enabled system that allows the Army’s wireless communications networks to sense and avoid enemy jamming and reduce radio frequency emissions that could allow adversaries to target Army forces.
Hassani said Xtremis is developing advanced radio technology, including AI-based cognitive radios, for commercial and military use. He said the core researchers of Xtremis won two DARPA spectrum challenges. Adam Jay Harrison is the startup’s founder and CEO.
Pasha Moore, project consultant for Xtremis, said the Xtremis office is in Washington, D.C. She said Xtremis has partnerships in Northwest Arkansas and West Virginia and a Nashville, Tenn., presence. Asked about the top goal of Xtremis’ partnership with the UA, Moore said it’s to see it endure and to find more challenges to solve together. Hassani said, “There’s a level of expertise available to us at the university that we have not found elsewhere.”
Xtremis has 20 staff, and this number is expected to steadily rise over the next two years, he said.
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