Robert Cardillo: Government Should Be ‘Welcoming’ With Commercial RF Geospatial Innovation

Robert Cardillo, a member of the advisory board at HawkEye 360 and a four-time Wash100 awardee, shared in an interview posted Thursday his insights on geospatial intelligence and the need for the government to adopt commercial radiofrequency geospatial innovation.

“Geospatial intelligence is the culmination of knowing where things are, what they are, but more importantly, how they relate to one another and why,” he said. “Because while it’s necessary to know the where, it’s more important to know what will happen tomorrow for my security or to reduce my risk.”

Cardillo, former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, said the government should be “welcoming” when it comes to embracing industry RF geospatial technological advancements.

“Government remains a big player and still matters. But it’s in the government’s interest to be accommodating, welcoming, and engaging with that kind of vibrancy, perhaps in ways that it wasn’t comfortable before,” he noted.

He also shared his views on how HawkEye 360’s approach helps provide customers greater insight and increased awareness and understanding by creating "coherence out of chaos."