Air Force Moves to AFWERX 3.0 > Air Force > Articles Display | So Good News

As an innovative educational organization acceleration of change In the Department of the Air Force, AFWERX launches a series of new initiatives supporting its 3.0 evolution. Air and Space Force leaders will detail new stakeholder engagement opportunities during a live broadcast on Dec. 14 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT.

AFWERX 3.0 includes five key areas of effort to meet its more than $1 billion annual budget:

2) Connect AFWERX capabilities to better align government resources with industry intelligence, laboratory expertise, operator engagement and procurement tools to improve speed and rigor in what some procurement experts call the “valley of death.” support necessary for survival.

3) Expand existing instruments through the themes of Open, Specific and Strategic Funding Increase and Tactical Funding Increase or STRATFI. AFWERX AFFenturesincreased the end-user iteration by AFWERX Spark industry opportunities through AFWERX Prime.

4) Reducing barriers to confidential work for companies with new concepts.

5) Improve data architecture for rapid stakeholder feedback and process improvement.

As he prepares to assume his new role on Dec. 15, AFWERX Director Col. Elliott Leigh said, “I’m excited to see the new ways AFWERX 3.0 supports. DAF’s priorities, Airman and Guardian innovation, and commercialization of the industry by supporting the amazing foundation and steady leadership built by the AFWERX team.

In 2017, AFWERX 1.0 was launched as a tool to connect military personnel with innovative ideas in academia and industry through cultural transformation. This formed the basis of an unprecedented collaboration that greatly expanded Airman’s networks of innovation and their connections with external stakeholders to bring new ideas and technology transitions.

AFWERX AFVentures has improved access to external technology, talent and capital. AFWERX Spark fueled innovation at the operational edge, while AFWERX Prime accelerated emerging technology markets leveraging military missions and resources. The impact of AFWERX 2.0 has cut across both traditional and non-traditional measures of success, from enabling the first Airman flight on an electric plane to accelerating 319 companies through Phase 3 of their transition to end-user funding after launching a contract to build a small business. Additional funding for AFWERX companies increased 15-fold, adding more than 1,500 new companies to the department’s portfolio.

Col. Nathan Diller, Director of AFWERX Retired after 22 years in the Air Force, he said, “It’s been wonderful to see many of the Air Force and Guardian’s innovative experiments not only add amazing new capabilities to the force, but also, most importantly, become institutionalized programs. building flexible structures for how we accelerate future force development.

Leigh, the incoming director, previously served as a material manager Space Systems Command Before joining AFWERX as its military deputy. Entering his new role, Lee said he was impressed by the rapid advances in innovation made possible by AFWERX’s processes.

“I’m amazed at what we can achieve through the SBIR program, and we’re doing it at scale,” Leigh said. “We are mobilizing the workforce of small businesses, tens of thousands of Americans. and a strategic war reserve of private sector innovators. We’re making rapid progress in every technology and mission area in the division, and in the process, we’re changing the culture to drive innovation. It appears immediately after the organization Air Force Chief of Staff a top priority to accelerate change and operational requirements of the secretary”.

To learn more about the AFWERX 3.0 transition and hear directly from Diller and Ley, attend AFWERX 3.0, which includes an Ask Anything session and a fireside chat. Learn more Here and event registration Here.