News & Success Stories

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX welcomed its new director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, Col. Nathan Stuckey, during a change of leadership ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 17, 2025.

TRAVIS AIR FORCE, Calif. -- Phoenix Spark hosted a STEAM event, bringing together student teams from four different Solano County school districts who presented innovative solutions to two real-world challenges the Air Force is facing at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 9, 2025.

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The Air Force Reserve Command has officially launched its fiscal year 2025 Reserve Innovation Campaign, an initiative aimed at accelerating innovation and enhancing operational readiness through the power of frontline Airmen.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – A select group of Team Eglin Airmen gathered at the Emerald Spark Incubator March 10-14 to collaborate in the first-ever Combat Innovation Cohort.

AUSTIN, Texas -- AFWERX and SpaceWERX the innovation arms of the Department of the Air Force and U.S. Space Force, respectively, have selected 23 small businesses with Phase II contracts awarded within the last two years to apply for funding through a Program Year 2025.1 Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) annual notice of opportunity.

Austin, Texas (March 11) – For three days, more than 3,500 representatives from companies, government, academia and capital came together as part of joint programming powered by DIU, AFWERX, NavalX and other DOD organizations at the Capital Factory House in Austin.

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 49th Maintenance Group is advancing its mission readiness through a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract collaboration with Evitado Technologies and its anti-collision solution, and TowFLEXX Miltech, a leading manufacturer of electric, remote-controlled towing vehicles without towbars with a longstanding history of supporting the military.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Space Systems Command (SSC) hosted the inaugural “SSC Subcontracting Forum” Feb. 6 to connect large military contractors with potential small business partners. The first-of-its-kind forum dovetails with SSC’s ongoing drive for innovative and efficient acquisition of space-based capabilities that empower our Nation’s warfighters.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The Spark Tank 2025 semifinals were held Jan. 28 in the Pentagon. The Spark Tank production team presented the top 15 ideas, identified by 1,925 Airmen and Guardians casting nearly 35,000 pairwise votes and subject matter expert evaluations, to a panel co-chaired by the vice chief of staff of the Air Force and the vice chief of space operations.