NLT launches DIRE-IMPACT, a platform leveraging AI and geospatial data to predict and prevent disease outbreaks, in collaboration with UC San Diego, UNICEF, and Wellcome Trust.
New Light Technologies is proud to announce a significant milestone in the journey to transform disease prediction and public health preparedness: the launch of DIRE-IMPACT, a flagship platform developed in close coordination with UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, in collaboration with UNICEF, and funded by the Wellcome Trust. DIRE-IMPACT represents years of dedicated research, technical innovation, and partnership, turning cutting-edge geospatial intelligence and data science into a practical tool for governments and health agencies to predict and plan for disease outbreaks. By integrating satellite data, climate signals, and ensemble machine-learning models, the platform provides actionable early-warning insights for infectious diseases such as dengue, empowering decision-makers to shift from reactive response to proactive prevention. This collaboration exemplifies what is possible when academic research, technical execution, and mission-driven partnerships come together with a shared commitment to global health security.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the partners and team members whose expertise, dedication, and ingenuity have brought DIRE-IMPACT from concept to reality. The researchers at ESA-European Space Agency pioneered the underlying science, the teams at UNICEF who brought critical field perspective and operational context, the visionary support from the Wellcome Trust, and the engineers, data scientists, and geospatial analysts at New Light Technologies who translated advanced models into production-ready systems: each played an essential role in this journey. Over the years, countless hours of collaboration, iteration, and problem-solving have built the bridge between scientific discovery and technical deployment, ensuring that DIRE-IMPACT is not just a research achievement but a tool that can be deployed, scaled, and used by health officials on the ground where it matters most.
As we celebrate this launch, we are equally focused on the road ahead. DIRE-IMPACT is a living platform, and the work continues as we refine capabilities, expand geographic coverage, and integrate additional health threats beyond dengue. The next steps will involve deeper engagement with governments, health agencies, and communities to ensure the platform meets real-world needs and delivers measurable impact in disease preparedness and response. This is just the beginning of a long-term commitment to building resilient, data-driven systems that protect lives and strengthen public health infrastructure worldwide.
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About New Light Technologies, Inc. (NLT)
New Light Technologies, Inc. (NLT) is a mission-focused technology, science, and product company with over 25 years of experience delivering operational solutions for emergency management, disaster response, climate resilience, and complex data operations at scale. NLT partners with commercial, federal, state, local, and international organizations to strengthen preparedness, accelerate response, and support long-term recovery in high-stakes, real-world environments.
NLT designs, builds, and operates secure, cloud-native platforms and managed services that transform raw, time-sensitive data into actionable intelligence. Its solutions operationalize geospatial analytics, data integration, automation, and decision-support workflows: enabling rapid imagery ingestion, damage assessment, common operating pictures, infrastructure monitoring, and secure collaboration across distributed teams.
With deep roots in geospatial intelligence, data science, DevSecOps, and applied research, NLT bridges advanced technology with on-the-ground operational workflows. The company's products and services are built to perform under pressure: supporting emergency operations centers, field teams, analysts, and decision-makers when speed, accuracy, and reliability matter most.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., New Light Technologies is a trusted partner to public and private sector organizations worldwide. NLT is committed to delivering resilient, scalable solutions that help agencies and enterprises adapt to evolving risks, manage complexity, and better serve communities before, during, and after critical events.
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