Photo By Matthew C Clouse | Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the...... read more read more
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AUSTIN, Texas (AFRL) – AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, hosted a Fed Supernova Challenge Showcase and Spark Collider event at Capital Factory in Austin, Texas, Aug. 20, 2024. The event brought together Air Force leaders and more than 50 industry partners to foster collaboration and leverage American ingenuity in solving warfighter challenges.
"In the Air Force and Space Force, there are challenges that emerge outside the normal program executive officer acquisition process and the answers to these challenges are often already out there in industry," said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force. "Events like this facilitate those serendipitous connections that turn into real programs."
Fed Supernova is an annual event that provides AFWERX a platform to connect with hundreds of American innovators and host Challenges and Colliders. Both are innovation-focused programs that link the Department of the Air Force with the private sector to address critical military needs.
Leigh kicked off the showcase by sharing AFWERX success stories with the audience, including video game technology adapted for pilot training and software that supports Space Force operations.
“We have learned that this works. If it didn’t work, we wouldn’t keep doing it,” Leigh said. “I get the privilege of reading a lot of success stories about companies that have come up through our program. We’ve matched them to solutions, and now they’re doing big things.”
During the event’s morning session, Master Sgt. Brian Crea, 3rd Wing director of innovation, took the stage and engaged with the tech community to address logistical challenges faced by several wings in Alaska involving cargo handling in austere environments.
“After speaking, we were approached by multiple companies offering solutions,” Crea said. "The most valuable thing I’ve learned in innovation is the importance of connections. It’s not always about money or the problem itself — sometimes it’s knowing who can provide the missing piece."
The afternoon portion of the event was an opportunity for industry to interact with military leaders about their technologies and possibly find solutions. Robert Anderson, a business owner specializing in sustainable waste management solutions, attended the event to broaden his company’s presence within the military sector.
His company offers a low-flush toilet connected to an anaerobic digester, which generates methane gas for on-demand hot water and could be useful for forward-deployed military bases.
“Meeting the right people who are interested in our product can be difficult,” Anderson noted. “Fed Supernova is valuable for understanding the process and we hope to connect with the key decision-makers.”
The day’s interactions showcased how critical these partnerships are, as the U.S. military continues innovating and adapting to an increasingly complex global landscape.
“We hope that by facilitating the dialog today, we can help you, and you can help us,” Leigh said.
For industry professionals who missed the event, there are numerous opportunities to connect with AFWERX in the future. The organization offers multiple avenues for innovators and industry leaders to engage with the Department of the Air Force. For more information on upcoming events and how to get involved, visit the AFWERX website and sign up for alerts.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2024 06:07 |
| Story ID: | 479620 |
| Location: | AUSTIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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