News & Success Stories

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) -- Representatives from all four core divisions of AFWERX -- Prime, Spark, AFVentures, and SpaceWERX -- will be at the South by Southwest, or SXSW, conference March 10-19, 2023 in Austin, Texas. The Capital Factory, an entrepreneurial firm aimed at connecting innovative technologists and startups to a nationwide network of resources, will host this event in its downtown networking space at the AFWERX Austin Hub located in the Omni Hotel. The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for the global community of digital creatives to encounter cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and network with other professionals who share a similar appetite for forward-focused experiences. "AFWERX is looking forward to connecting with DOD and industry partners to collaborate on our shared mission to innovate a stronger force," said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director. "AFWERX 3.0's mission to support senior leadership's top priorities could not occur without the invaluable partnerships we build in forums such as South by Southwest." Dr. Timothy Grayson, special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, will hold a public forum and question-and-answer session March 10, 2023, on the Operational Imperatives, inviting technology leaders from industry to engage directly with Department of the Air Force, or DAF, priorities. This forum advances Kendall’s commitment to partnering with industry to solve technical challenges presented by operational imperatives, which identify critical warfighting capabilities needed to deter adversaries and prevail in combat.

Editor’s note: This is part two of a three-part series. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) -- The Refinery program, an initiative of AFWERX’s Spark division, is addressing the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s, or CSAF’s, Action Orders andWRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) -- The Refinery program, an initiative of AFWERX’s Spark division, is addressing the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s, or CSAF’s, Action Orders and the Secretary of the Air Force’s, or SECAF’s, Operational Imperatives, or OIs, as it works to rapidly advance the projects of Airmen and Guardians. The principal objective of this four-week, hybrid innovation Accelerator program is to target grassroots efforts and further develop tactical project prototypes that directly aid warfighters and ultimately adopt the right operational capabilities into the larger force. “We are taking a deliberate approach with AFWERX 3.0 to single out opportunities for innovation that are most applicable to OIs and Action Orders,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, director of AFWERX. The Action Orders represent CSAF’s call to accelerate change and were updated in February 2022 to detail what the force must do in four focus areas – Action Order A: Airmen; Action Order B: Bureaucracy; Action Order C: Competition; and Action Order D: Design Implementation – in order for the U.S. to remain the most dominant and respected Air Force in the world.

Editor’s note: This is part one of a three-part series WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – The Refinery program, an initiative of AFWERX’s Spark division, will host its seventh cohort of Airmen and Guardians for a four-week, hybrid Accelerator program in February 2023 to target grassroots efforts within the Department of the Air Force and rapidly advance innovative projects that directly aid warfighters. “The Refinery gives us a platform to help develop the intrapreneur behind the idea, to deliberately connect to exquisite talent in our research labs, and to remove barriers to adoption,” said Col. Martin Salinas, AFWERX Spark division chief. The Refinery connects Airmen and Guardian innovators with relevant stakeholders and resources in the Department of Defense to develop their grassroots projects. The principal objective is to further develop tactical project prototypes and adopt the right operational capabilities into the larger force. This is made possible through the Refinery's curated process, partnerships and refinement of the ecosystem's acquisition pipeline.