On June 7, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued information about the upcoming Innovation Foundry (IF16) event. Applications are due by July 5.
SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM’s Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T), will host the sixteenth Innovation Foundry Event (IF16), in either Lexington KY, or at SOFWERX in Tampa, FL, (final determination will be made by the end of June), which intends to bring together Special Operations Forces (SOF), industry, academia, national labs, government, and futurists in an exploration, design thinking, facilitated event to assist USSOCOM in decomposing future scenarios and missions.
The theme of IF16, ‘Contested Logistics in Future SOF Operations’ will explore the challenges of resourcing parts, components, and supplies at the point of need for the untethered SOF operator. In this effort, S&T is working with the Program Executive Office for Special Operations Forces Support Activity (PEO-SOFSA) and the Expeditionary Support Program Office.
S&T has developed and refined a unique process, the Innovation Cycle, to engage technology pioneers and leaders, and to discover and develop high risk, innovative, and disruptive technologies for future on-boarding. The Innovation Foundry is the first event in the Innovation Cycle and is the idea generation phase. It will be followed by a Rapid Capability Assessment (RCA) to develop capabilities, and Integrated Technology Sprints (ITS) to demonstrate proofs of concept.
Deliverables for the IF16 event will include preliminary capability concepts targeting the defined problem areas which may impact SOF forces and operations in the 2030 timeframe. These preliminary capability concepts will be developed further in a follow-on RCA event.
The event will be a compelling opportunity for leading minds in industry, academia, labs, and government, as well as subject matter experts to collaborate and ideate with other experts.
During IF16, selected participants will ideate, collaborate, and develop concepts for the future needs of SOF. USSOCOM has also used Innovation Foundries to build key relationships with entrepreneurs and technology developers.
Review the USSOCOM IF16 invitation.
Source: SAM
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