Backed by a grant from the US Department of Commerce, Innovation HQ is a resource provided by the R2 Network to help end-users find and follow response and resiliency solutions.
Launched in 2021, the R2 Portal is built by the R2 Network to provide an online home to help innovators of public safety technology connect directly with first responders and industry leaders. With a growing network of 100’s of products from around the globe, Innovation HQ is the fourth and largest feature launch of the R2 Portal. First responders now have a new home to find the best tools and technology available to help solve critical capability gaps.
In the process of building the Network, feedback was sought from the end-user community about the most pressing challenges faced with new technology adoption. Chief among the concerns was the ability to stay ahead of the ever-changing technology curve and how to find the right solutions to meet their specific agency needs. As a simple and streamlined way to find new technology solutions, Innovation HQ makes finding new technology easy and accessible.
Explore Innovation HQ
A Streamlined Search Experience
Designed with ease of use in mind, users have three methods by which they can find solutions. To explore what’s available, users can scroll through 100’s of hard-to-find solutions or browse through nearly 50 categories that address the top needs and trends facing public safety agencies. For specific needs, users can search by keyword query using the search bar. Users will find categories such as Cybersecurity, COVID-19, Drone/UAS, and Location Tracking with curated products that address that specific capability gap. First Responders looking for a specific product for 911 can leverage these category pages to streamline their search. By clicking on a category such as 911/PSAP, every 911/PSAP related product on Innovation HQ will populate onto its own page giving users a quick and easy way to browse solutions that fit their exact needs.
Follow your Favorite Products to Stay Informed
Make informed technology decisions for your public safety agency with the R2 Network’s new follow and compare features on Innovation HQ. While browsing through solutions, follow products of interest to stay up to date on developments and new offerings then perform side-by-side comparisons custom built to inform public safety end users on your customized “Followed Products” page. Also available on your Followed Products page is the Product Feed, where first responders can learn about new products and features at a glance while entrepreneurs can share updates about their products, partnerships and opportunities with the R2 community. In addition to that, users will receive customized technology recommendations on the Followed Products page based on their specific interests.
“New Hampshire’s adoption of the Firstnet Network has opened up new avenues of technology adoption like our partnership with Mutualink” John Stevens, Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, New Hampshire Department of Safety. “Innovation HQ on the R2 Portal will allow us to continue to be detailed and thorough in our exploration of new and innovative technologies enabled by the growing Firstnet ecosystem.”
A Unique Opportunity for Entrepreneurs
Innovation HQ gives Entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to share their solution with a growing community of First Responders while simultaneously involving them in the development and deployment of a solution. “At Squishy Robotics, first responder input has been critical at each stage of our development process” says Deniz Droguer, COO Co-Founder of Squishy Robotics. “A tool that enables us to scale that first responder involvement both for the development and deployment of our solution in the future will be invaluable moving forward.”
Streamline Technology Adoption in Your Agency
These features were created to make staying up to date on public safety technology easy for your agency. Take a tour through all of the features available on the R2 Portal in our brand new video where you’ll learn about each of the resources built to support first responders and entrepreneurs, including our latest resource Innovation HQ:
Innovation HQ is now available to all members of our free-to-join R2 Portal. Start browsing public safety technology products and help streamline your agency’s processes, improve security and fast track technology adoption today.
Visit Innovation HQ
