Applying Technology for the Public Good

At Heartland Science and Technology, we understand technology and the importance it plays in our client-partner’s success. Our mission is to create and sustain custom technology solutions serving the greater public good. As a non-profit research institution, we collaborate with start-ups, other non-profits, universities, and government organizations—teaming to develop solutions while providing a vision of how technology can transform their operations.

Working with our client-partners, we adapt a systematic, mature, and flexible development process to meet their user experience, data analysis, and programmatic needs. We ensure data and information technology is safe, secure, and streamlined. Additionally, we facilitate the transfer, integration, and utilization of our collaborative research for public and social good.

Our Services
We are a proven partner offering full-service technology strategic planning, development, deployment, and management services. Our trusted technical team has built custom solutions in diverse domains such as sustainable agriculture, cybersecurity, and resilient transportation systems. Key services include:

Sustainability Solutions for Agriculture: We develop and operate information systems for farmers that integrate precision agriculture, conservation management, and economic data to facilitate the widespread adoption of conservation management best-practices.

Data Collection and Management Platforms: We create platforms focused on intuitive data collection interfaces, data quality management, and data protection and security.

Custom Software Solutions: We create custom software and applications to collect, convert, process, and generate claims, environmental metrics, and economic results from agriculture. This includes QA/QC processes for data collection and data processing.

Information Systems for Agriculture

Transformative Sustainable Practices

We enable farmers to economically implement sustainable farming practices through the use of precision agriculture technologies. Heartland has developed and operates an information system for the farmer that integrates precision agriculture, conservation management, and economic data to facilitate the widespread adoption of conservation management best-practices. For more information, visit Precision Conservation Management.

Cybersecurity Management

Guiding Organizations Through Complex Federal Cybersecurity Regulations

Heartland has developed a web based cybersecurity dashboard demystifying challenging cybersecurity compliance processes and regulations set forth by the federal government. The Cyber Secure Dashboard tool provides the functionality required to implement, manage, track & communicate NIST cybersecurity requirements across the manufacturing enterprise, and maintain compliance through an evolving landscape of potential security threats.

Critical Infrastructure Resilience

Supporting Applied Research & Technology Transition from Academia to Industry

Heartland provides technical and business support to the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) - a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. As part of the University of Illinois, the Institute conducts research and education that enhances the resiliency of the nation’s critical infrastructures and the businesses and public entities that own and operate those assets and systems.

The Software Commons

High Performance Computing Software & Systems

The Software Commons provides developers with direct access to and use of the latest & most advanced academic, government, & private industry computational codes and tools. Using this resource, private & public organizations are empowered to research, develop, share and employ scientific & high performance computational codes while preserving proprietary methods, processes, and information.

Scientific Software Development

Heartland is developing software tools for SpectroClick's portable spectroscopy device - a portable, accurate, consumer-easy chemical testing device. The technology lets citizen scientists immediately determine if lead or arsenic is present in drinking water. It enables farmers to determine whether fertilizer is needed in a field, or if soil is contaminated. A specialized app, using a webcam to capture data, processes the spectrum quickly, comprehensively, and with more flexibility and portability than has ever been available. SpectroClick's AAH spectrometers are affordable, accurate, and innovative.

Maritime Risk Assessment

Heartland supports applied research conducted at the University of Illinois in the area of threat-based assessments of port infrastructure - prototyping tools to better understand and mitigate the possible effects of port disruptions and their potential impact on industry, economics, and supply chains.

Unmanned Aerial Systems

Heartland has been active in exploring applications and collaborations for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The company led a community effort to host the 2014 Aviation Innovation Conference at the University of Illinois - a conference designed to grow the local aviation industry by building a stronger aviation community. The Heartland team also facilitated collaborative efforts between Sinclair Community College's Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Training Center and the University of Illinois.

NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

Heartland Contributes to Next-Generation National Ecosystem Services Marketplace

September 1, 2020

Heartland Science and Technology Group has been under contract with the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) to contribute to the development of ESMC’s voluntary, next-generation national ecosystem services marketplace conceived and designed to generate and sell quantified, verified, certified carbon, water quality, and water quantity credits for the agriculture sector.

Heartland Science and Technology Group helped develop Version 1 of ESMC’s digital producer portal, the data collection platform that is supporting a growing number of Pilot Projects lead by ESMC collaborators such as General Mills, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Archer Daniels Midland, and The Nature Conservancy.

ESMC is an industry-wide effort to leverage and scale voluntary improvements in farming and ranching practices in a market-based program. The consortium is leveraging a $10.3 million investment from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) and a larger total investment of $20.6 million, to develop the ESMC Market.

Scheduled for launch in 2022, the ESMC Market will be a fully functioning national scale ecosystem services market. Focusing first and foremost on the need to support farmers and ranchers, ESMC’s program allows producers to be paid for the value of multiple positive environmental impacts made through the adoption of regenerative agricultural production systems. It will encourage regenerative agricultural production systems while creating sound social, economic, and environment outcomes that benefit producers, local communities, and society at-large.

Read the Full Article.

Heartland Awarded MxD Contract to Expand Supply Chain Functionality in Cyber Secure Dashboard

July 2, 2020

Heartland Science and Technology Group has been awarded a contract by Manufacturing times Digital (MxD) to implement supply chain functionality to the Cyber Secure Dashboard tool.

The Dashboard is an ongoing development collaboration with the University of Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, the Information Trust Institute at the University of Illinois, MxD, and D.C. based IT and cybersecurity consulting firm Iviry.

The new functionality significantly evolves the Dashboard – a project initially seeded in 2016 by MxD (then known as DMDII). Initial development of the Dashboard met the needs of small and mid-sized manufacturers who were finding it difficult understand and implement new, complex federal cybersecurity guidelines. Now, the Dashboard has been spun out into a fully functional SaaS business collaboration that addresses cybersecurity lifecycle management and provides critical insights into the cyber security status of entire supply chains.

For more information on the Cyber Secure Dashboard, visit www.cybersecuredashboard.com.

Heartland Promotes Precision Conservation Through Farm Service Conservation Data Collection & Analysis

December 10, 2019

Heartland, in collaboration with the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District, developed and integrated the new S.T.A.R. program into the Precision Conservation Management Farmer Portal. S.T.A.R. is a free tool that assists farm operators and land owners in evaluating their nutrient and soil loss management practices on individual fields.

The purpose of the S.T.A.R. program is to motivate those making cropping decisions to use the "best management practices" that will ultimately meet the goals of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.

Heartland's technology integration includes data collection via the Farmer Portal, and customized data analysis & reporting functionality.

For more information about the S.T.A.R. program, visit www.precisionconservation.org.