GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES
GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES Innovation Combine finds better, cheaper and faster in more ways than one.
Finding novel technology solutions to the Army’s modern- ization challenges is just that—challenging. This was the case for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (CCDC GVSC) as it searched for ways to enable lightweight military ground vehicles with affordable novel materials for weight reduction and survivability. The CCDC Soldier Center was also looking for scalable power and energy solutions— innovative ways to find lighter, energy dense, safe and rechargeable batteries.
Part of the Army Futures Command, these organizations collaborated on a different approach to solving their prob- lems. They wanted to discover solutions that the Army might not know were out there from the innovative small business and startup communities. The group came up with the idea of the Innovation Combine, a problem- specific pitch competition that offered an opportunity for an other-transaction authority-based contract at the end that would enable the companies to continue working with the Army, in addition to receiving a prize-money award.
“The Army Futures Command built the Innovation Combine around the idea that a pitch competition is a means to an end. Our goal was to attract small businesses, investors, academia and industry to a networking event and focus their attention on Army problems,” explained Lt. Col. Anita McGinthy, Army Futures Command orders and events manager. “We advertised the event as a pitch competition, and then we built the competition within Army programs. We combined CCDC’s model for a focused competition for contract awards, with the ASA(ALT) [assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology] model for a broad competition for cash awards. Then, we invited all of the small businesses who responded to the event— not just those selected to pitch at the event. Because the competition was nested within Army programs, the small businesses themselves drew the investors, indus- try scouts, academia and other cohorts seeking to do business with the Army.”
This first-of-its-kind competition used the framework and business model developed for the Army’s Expedi- tionary Technology Search (xTechSearch) competitions and blended it with CCDC GVSC’s “flash-to-bang”
THE LOWDOWN
Dr. Douglas Tamilio, director of the U.S. Army Soldier Center, provided an overview of the Army’s need for scalable power and energy solutions. (Photos courtesy of U.S. Army CCDC)
other-transaction authority process. They wanted to attract companies from the nontraditional industrial base to provide an easier way to work with and engage the Army. Through the pitch competition, those innovators would be able to network, make connections and learn about how to do business with the Army.
One of the unique benefits of the Army pitch competition model used by the xTech Search program is that it works to bring potential Army customers to the companies to listen to their pitches and understand their technologies. The idea is that the small companies can start develop- ing a relationship between Army subject matter experts and technology innovators. Not only does the Army want to invest in innovation, it also wants to invest in future suppliers by assisting in making connections with them.
HOW THE INNOVATION COMBINE WORKED
The Innovation Combine launched on March 15 and included two problem statements:
Scalable power and energy solutions: The Army has a need for lighter, energy dense, safe, rechargeable batter- ies that can be demonstrated at the battery prototype
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Army AL&T Magazine
Fall 2020
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