WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) — As an innovative learning organization driven to accelerate change in the Department of the Air Force, AFWERX will release a series of new initiatives in support of its 3.0 evolution. Air and Space Force leaders will detail new opportunities for stakeholder engagement during a live broadcast on December 14, 2022, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT.
AFWERX 3.0 will add five key lines of effort in executing its more than $1 billion annual budget: (1) increase funding opportunities aligned with the Department of the Air Force Operational Imperatives; (2) create a nexus between AFWERX capabilities that better align government resources with industry outreach, laboratory expertise, operator engagement and acquisition tools to improve speed and rigor across what some acquisition experts call the “valley of death” — where innovative ideas do not find the necessary support to survive; (3) expand existing tools through open, specific and Strategic Funding Increase and Tactical Funding Increase, or STRATFI, topics with AFWERX AFVentures, increased end-user iteration through AFWERX Spark and opportunities for industry through AFWERX Prime; (4) reduce barriers to conduct classified work for companies with novel concepts; and (5) improve the data architecture for rapid stakeholder feedback and process improvement.