Whenever "the media", or for a fact, most other platforms for commentary, are bringing airport security into the discourse, they are referring to the travellers. From pundits to political comments on CNN, most everybody discusses the need for full body scanners being, right along with intensive body searches and psychological profiling. A lot of the commentators have no hesitation even when full scale racial profiling is brought up, considered a "realistic" option.  

What is never really talked about, and what is probably the most vulnerable area in the whole of aviation, is how these organizations protect and secure airport personnel and accompanying airport facilities. From baggage handlers and mechanics to runway train drivers and couriers - how might we identify, track and audit the personnel? This is what should be talked about, what should be reevaluated and decisively dealt with, both for their own protection and the security of the populace at large. 

Currently, there is no technology flexible enough to identify, track and log the activities of the various groups that work at an airport (which occurs a lot more often than it does for anyone flying out of it). There is no robust way of auditing their activity, accounting for their different access control levels and so much more.

We, at Plantiga, have the answer to many of these complex security issues. With our system the personnel will be wearing footwear that biometrically identifies them. This not only allows for access control identification at various points in the airport, but allows for the individuals activity to be attached to whatever they do (cargo they've loaded or unloaded, buildings accessed, etc). 

What drives us is the vision of implementing a whole new level in security technology, especially within environments like airports or shipping ports. It hasn't happened yet, and it's not something we readily want to talk about, but there needs to be better ways to protect the personnel in an airport – along with everyone else who just might be passing through. The potential damage of somebody infiltrating an airport is just as bad as somebody getting past a single point of security and boarding a plan.

We met with the National Research Council last week, which resulted in their commitment to help Plantiga during the coarse of our development. As a Canadian technology start-up, it is so important to have the government's support, be it in development, marketing, financing, etc. 

We are not sure the specifics, but right now it looks like we will be able to apply for IRAP funding assistance in the near future, as well as develop the technology under a particular R&D North American agreement. 

The NRC is also going to help us out with marketing strategies and market research, as well as our financing efforts. All in all, it's nice to have the governments assistance.

We've been working hard on crafting a new website, one that better reflects our last year of work.

This is exciting is for us as it will mirror the different strategies that we are employing. We are making the site to be read and understood by anybody, from any background (engineering, bankers, designers, etc). We know we can't be understood by everybody, but we are certainly going to try.

It should be done in the next couple weeks.