DoD's Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental 2.0 opens in Boston
NewsJuly 27, 2016
BOSTON. The Department of Defense (DoD) officially opened its second location of its Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental (DIUx) in Boston, dubbed DIUx 2.0. The goal of department is to accelerate DIUx success in building bridges to entrepreneurs and innovators.
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Carter notified the public in May of the opening of DIUx 2.0 to establish an East Coast branch that will compliment the Silicon Valley office opened in 2015. SECDEF states that this location will provide access to innovative companies, universities, and other private intuitions in the region, and at the same time enhance its reach to companies located throughout the country.
“Over the last 11 months – since we first opened the doors of the West Coast office in Silicon Valley – DIUx has become a signature part of our outreach to the tech community. It’s helped us connect with hundreds of entrepreneurs and firms – making great progress in putting commercially-based innovation into the hands of America’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines,” Secretary Carter states.
At the event this week, SECDEF made several announcements including, DIUx's employment of the Commercial Solutions Opening
(CSO), which aims to take advantage of flexible authorities for prototyping granted by Congress. The CSO enables tech firms to bring ideas to DoD, streamlining paperwork requirements, and allowing the department to provide funding under 60 days after first contact with a firm and within 30 days after receiving a formal proposal.
SECDEF, state and local officials, and technology leaders from the Boston area were present at the opening ceremony. SECDEF took the opportunity to introduce two new members of the DIUx leadership: Chief Science Officer Bernadette Johnson and Boston military lead Col. Mike McGinley. Officials say, Johnson and McGinly will work with their California-based counterparts to lead in DIUx efforts around the nation.
DIUx is also looking to bring together the military and DoD who work on biodefense and biological technology together with world-class academic researchers, biotech companies, and entrepreneurs.
Going forward, DIUx will be organized into three teams:
- Venture Team, which aims to identifiy emerging commercial technologies
- Foundry Team, which will identify different undeveloped technologies that require adaptation for military applications
- The Engagement Team will introduce innovators to military problems and the military to entrepreneurs who can help find solutions.
