Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      AFWERX’s inaugural Accelerate event will be held virtually Dec. 7-11, 2020. The event will highlight how AFWERX is institutionalizing air and space innovation across the Department of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force courtesy graphic)AFWERX Accelerate
                        
                        
                        AFWERX’s inaugural Accelerate event will be held virtually Dec. 7-11, 2020. The event will highlight how AFWERX is institutionalizing air and space innovation across the Department of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force courtesy graphic)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

AFWERX announces virtual Accelerate Event Dec. 7-11Published Nov. 14, 2020
                    
                    By Jordyn Fetter
                    
                    
                    AFWERX
            **ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --****AFWERX** will hold its inaugural Accelerate event, being held virtually, Dec. 7-11. The event will highlight how AFWERX is institutionalizing air and space innovation across the Department of the Air Force.
It has grown from three successful innovation experiments into one organization that will accelerate affordable and agile capabilities by expanding the defense industrial base as the preferred partner for commercial technology innovation and broadening the network of Airmen creating innovative concepts.
As part of the event, the Air Force’s catalyst for fostering innovation will feature collaborative initiatives, partnerships and engagement opportunities provided through the synergistic efforts of their three new teams: **AFVentures**, Spark and **Prime**.
“Innovation inhabits the DNA of the U.S. Air and Space Forces,” said Secretary of the Air Force **Barbara Barrett**. “Now AFWERX unites the creativity of AFVentures, Spark Innovators, and Agility Prime with the expertise of the **Air Force Research Laboratory**. Every day we celebrate our partnerships, and we welcome new pace-setters who are inspired to help protect the nation.”
To accelerate collaborative capability development, AFWERX is deliberately establishing relationships with a breadth industry, investor, interagency, and international stakeholders. These partnerships will often focus on nontraditional stakeholders to accelerate the collaborative fielding of novel capabilities using novel risk mitigation.
The event will highlight industry and investment partnerships created through AFVentures. While AFWERX will consider a broad trade space of technologies from across all providers, this event will show how expanding the defense industrial base with commercial technologies will help: 1) identify technology trends; 2) leverage commercial research and development; 3) accelerate fielding to match commercially relevant timelines; 4) drive affordability through economies of scale; and 5) launch new domestic and partner commercial sectors that might otherwise be lost to competitors by providing deliberate risk reduction to commercial industry and investors.
Most importantly, Accelerate will highlight the culture of innovation in Spark. Using advanced connectivity and collaboration tools, AFWERX will empower and expand innovation networks to rapidly identify capability gaps and develop concepts that, when enabled by these new technologies or through this new network, will result in affordable rapid fielding. This empowerment involves training to develop this workforce of the future, as well as pushing the limits of virtual collaboration to access the breadth of ideas and grow the innovation workforce at scales never before imagined.
This event will show the successes of the Agility Prime “**flying car**” program and introduce new potential “Prime” programs. Fundamentally, with effective technology and concept engagement, AFWERX rapidly drives affordable capability to the field. Successful fielding is essential to build trust in this AFWERX approach. Periodically, diverse partnership engagement will help identify key technology sectors that if “primed” by AFWERX engagement, could advance national security and prosperity. Additionally, to field these programs in an affordable and timely manner, AFWERX will engage in rapid transition process improvements, establishing a core transition competency that will also help rapidly field smaller agile programs.
The five-day virtual event will include a variety of keynotes, fireside chats, workshops, networking opportunities and panel discussions focusing on AFWERX’s efforts to accelerate collaborative capability development, emerging technology trends, research and development, and fostering innovative and courageous problem-solvers for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
“In partnership with the rapidly accelerating **U.S. Space Force** and in alignment with Gen. Brown’s vision to **accelerate change**, the teams in AFWERX: AFVentures, Spark and Prime, are poised to build partnerships to accelerate,” said Col. Nathan Diller, AFWERX director. “As a whole, all three become a force multiplier to enable agile and affordable capability for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force as well as the broader innovation ecosystem.”
To register and learn more about Accelerate, click **here.**FS 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



AFwerX 



accelerate 



modernization 



innovation 



readiness 



Tomorrow’s Air Force 



virtual event 



SecAF 



Barbara Barrett 



AFVentures 



Spark Innovators 



Agility Prime 



Air Force Research Laboratory Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil