RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION
and engaged with more than 900 Army personnel through the facilitation of educational modules, interactions with strategic partners and customer discovery.
In addition, the businesses had an oppor- tunity to converse with more than 30 U.S. industrial-base leaders, and more than 30 businesses briefed senior leaders in Army acquisition, with many being directly connected to program managers. When asked what the most valuable part of the experience was, Jennifer Perusini, Ph.D., the CEO of Neurovation Labs, Inc., one of the Army SBIR Accelerator participants, said, “Understanding what acquisitions are and what the process looks like are what I gained from the accelerator.... I feel significantly more comfortable than when I started.”
Tese engagements and contract awards are driving growth within these busi- nesses and creating opportunities for them, not only with the Army but also in the commercial marketplace. Among the participating businesses are dozens of success stories demonstrating technol- ogy transition to Soldiers and the small businesses becoming healthy dual-use ventures. For example, Vita Inclinata, a maker of helicopter and crane load stabi- lization and precision hardware, and the xTechSearch 4 winner, had unprece- dented speed from initial federal research and development funding to purchasing of systems.
TRX Systems, xTechSearch 3 winner, similarly went from a SBIR Phase I proj- ect to being chosen by the Army at source selection for the dismounted operators' position, navigation and timing system.
Another prime example, xTechSearch 5 finalist and quantum technology company ColdQuanta, has been lever- aging federal funding since its inception
and has a strong research partnership with the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and multiple key partnerships in the defense industry.
Since the first iteration of these accelera- tor programs, the team has worked with dozens of Army program offices to support their goals of successfully transitioning innovative technologies to Soldiers. Accel- erators have proven to be a value-add for businesses experiencing roadblocks and hurdles that make it harder for them to develop actionable technology transi- tion plans.
Army accelerators provide a space for government entities to have flexibility in how they work with innovative small businesses.
CONCLUSION DOD initiatives prove more successful when they are developed with empa- thy for small businesses. Nontraditional business partners developing innova- tive technologies may lack the financial resources, knowledge and experience with government contracting efforts that larger businesses often have. Te regula- tions associated with government work require specialized resources and expe- dited contracting, and award mechanisms are particularly helpful to businesses that may not have the ability to wait longer for revenue.
DOD should continue its efforts to miti- gate limitations for small businesses to work with the government, especially in the area of deep-tech. Businesses are often unable to devote the needed resources to navigating the contracting process, government bureaucracy and military technological requirements, while simul- taneously funding their own technology development. Tough the tech transition process can be challenging, accelerators are a proven resource that can be made even more effective through DOD stakeholder support, whether through mentorship, attendance at an accelerator event, judg- ing a prize competition, participating as a company or sponsoring a competition. Innovation is not a destination; it is an iterative and continuous process that accel- erator programs understand and foster.
For more information, or to get involved in an accelerator program, contact the xTech Program at
https://go.usa.gov/xtA6T or the Army Applied SBIR Program at https://
go.usa.gov/xtA6V.
MATT WILLIS, Ph.D. leads the Army’s portfolio of private sector engagements through prize competitions and the Army SBIR program, comprising more than $275 million in annual research and development
investments. Previously, he
served as the Army director for laboratory management; chief for acquisition at the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Program Analysis and Integration Office; and the deputy director for special projects in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research. Willis started his Army career as a research chemical engineer at the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. He earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University.
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