Unitech, an interactive training and simulation firm specializiing in homeland security, has seen its office in Charleston, S.C., grow from 1 employee to 27 employees in the past three years, in part because of the cluster of federal and military facilities and agencies in the area.

   A major port and an array of federal and military facilities make Charleston attractive for launching or expanding companies with homeland security applications. About a dozen companies have formed there or moved offices in recent years. One of those is Unitech, an interactive training and simulation company specializing in homeland security. /
   "Charleston is attractive from a port standpoint," says Gary Merrick, Unitech's program manager for maritime safety and security programs. "It offers a decent- sized port and a good mix of public and private terminals." /
   Merrick says the recent establishment of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy make the region even more attractive. /
   The Charleston Unitech office, which has grown from 1 to 27 employees in three years, focuses on port security. It also recently won a contract from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to provide statewide training in weapons of mass destruction preparedness. /
   Navigational Sciences was founded in Charleston in 2000, primarily because that's where its founder lived. But the company, which has licensed exclusive technology developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has flourished in the field of wireless communications. /
   "The Port of Charleston is a significant port and has experienced considerable growth," says Naresh Lakhanpal, recently hired as the company's CEO. "The port has been very helpful to us to allow us to run our demos and do field testing. The sweet spot for the company and what gives us an 'in' to the homeland security industry is the technology we have. It's an RFID technology that communicates well in harsh environments such as places around steel and concrete, which are areas where RFID technology has historically not worked as well." /
   Lakhanpal describes Navigational Sciences as an R&D company in the process of refining its technology as it moves its products into commercialization. /
   "Charleston has a major convergence of waterway transportation, rail and trucking and serves as an excellent ground for us to build our technology," Lakhanpal says.