May 24, 2018
Now is the time to take DIUx global
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental — the Pentagon’s signature effort to engage commercial technology startups ― is primed to go global. In fact, DIUx could become a key platform by which the United States and its allies and partners come together to address shared military challenges ― if its next managing director and supporters in the Pentagon and Congress are prepared to seize the moment.
Launched in 2015, DIUx reflected a growing realization that the U.S. military needs to more effectively leverage innovations developed in the commercial technology sector. Intended as a workaround to a sclerotic defense acquisitions process, DIUx came to rely on an obscure contracting authority to rapidly award prototype projects to innovative companies ― a welcome change to the Pentagon business models that never managed to align with the technology industry’s far faster pace.
By the end of the Obama administration, DIUx had expanded beyond Silicon Valley to two other U.S. innovation hubs — Boston and Austin.
Growth gave way to uncertainty following the 2016 presidential election, with observers questioning whether the new team would support DIUx, and Congress moving to restrict its access to funding. Since then, however, DIUx has won the support of key stakeholders. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis visited DIUx in mid-2017 and offered an unequivocal endorsement of its mission to “accelerate commercial innovation to the war fighter.” Michael Griffin, the new undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, has also expressed backing for DIUx, which falls within his portfolio.
Read the Full Article at Defense News
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
To Compete with China on Military AI, U.S. Should Set the StandardsThe United States has an opportunity to lead in global norms and standards for military AI at a critical moment, when the foundations laid today could shape how militaries use...
By Jacob Stokes, Paul Scharre & Josh Wallin
-
Video
Defense / Energy, Economics & Security / Technology & National Security
The Outlook CEO Perspectives on Risk, Resilience and ReturnsJoin David Schwimmer and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, as they explore the current national security landscape and its impacts on global econo...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Trump-Xi Truce Shows Who Really Holds the LeverageThis article was originally published in The Australian Financial Review. Since President Trump returned to office, the U.S.-China relationship has lurched between confrontat...
By Ruby Scanlon
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
NOTUS Perspectives: AI Requires Massive Allocations of Energy. Will Other Sectors Suffer?On the current trajectory, the government may need to prioritize energy for AI over other uses to ensure the United States remains the global leader in advanced AI....
By Janet Egan
