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      A panel of judges ask questions to submitters as they pitch their innovation ideas live during the iChallenge competition portion of Innovation Day at FORCECON 2022Attendees of FORCECON 2022 speak with industry representatives and learn about innovation in various expo booths during Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022 at Tech Port San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        A panel of judges ask questions to submitters as they pitch their innovation ideas live during the iChallenge competition portion of Innovation Day at FORCECON 2022A panel of judges ask questions to submitters as they pitch their innovation ideas live during the iChallenge competition portion of Innovation Day at FORCECON 2022, San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

‘FORCECON 2022’ spurs collaboration, innovation for Air Force, industry, academiaPublished May 29, 2022
                    
                    By Capt. Lauren Woods
                    
                    
                    Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
            **PORT SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFNS) --**The inaugural FORCECON 2022: Innovation – Technology – Gaming convention kicked off in San Antonio with a collider event May 24-25 to spur collaboration between the military, industry and academia, with a goal of tackling some of the military’s toughest challenges in the areas of force development, and installation and mission support.Dr. Wendy Walsh, Air Education and Training Command chief learning officer, gives opening remarks on the importance of innovation and collaboration during the Air Education and Training Command Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022Dr. Wendy Walsh, Air Education and Training Command chief learning officer, gives opening remarks on the importance of innovation and collaboration during the Air Education and Training Command Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022 at Tech Port San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    











“We're looking to build new ideas, break how we've been doing things, to be able to do them better within a system,” said **Dr. Wendy Walsh**, **Air Education and Training Command** chief learning officer, who opened the first day of the event. “It takes all of us, industry, academia, and military, to connect the pieces and create a culture of continuous improvement, so that we can sustain the innovation until it no longer serves us.”
Fueled by a team-up between members representing the University of Texas-San Antonio’s Center for Government Contracting, AETC and **Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center**, the agenda for the industry collider included **presentations**, panels and an exposition hall with 70 vendors focused on innovation in force development and mission support.  
Highlights from the first day, which focused on AETC innovation priorities, included remarks from San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Guy Walsh, UTSA National Security Collaboration Center executive director, as well as presentations on teaming with academia, digital proficiency and technology innovations in learning.
“Events such as FORCECON 2022 showcase “Military City USA’s” commitment to helping strengthen relationships between the DoD, academia and industry,” Nirenberg said. “These relationships and joint efforts on emerging technology strengthen our national security.”
The day concluded with the **iChallenge** competition, where seven finalists from AETC presented pitches to a panel of judges for a chance to win $250,000 in funding for their innovative ideas.AETC’s announces winners of iChallenge at FORCECON 2022Participants in the FORCECON 2022 iChallenge competition pose for a group photo at Port San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    Attendees of FORCECON 2022 speak with industry and learn about innovation in various expo booths during Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022Attendees of FORCECON 2022 speak with industry representatives and learn about innovation in various expo booths during Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022 at Tech Port San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, gives opening remarks during the Air Education and Training Command Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, gives opening remarks during the Air Education and Training Command Innovation Day of FORCECON 2022 at Tech Port San Antonio, Texas, May 24, 2022. FORCECON 2022 is an interactive industry and academia collider event where participants can connect with industry and small business advisors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith James)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

During the second day, discussions centered on what industry and academia can bring to bear for installation and mission support.
"Partnering and collaborating with academia and industry is critical as they bring new and often unique perspectives into military and government organizations," said Dustin Dickens, an innovation program analyst with AFIMSC Ventures. "Often on the leading edge, the capability and concepts they bring to our Airmen and Guardians can be anything from a small change to something large and instrumental."
Partnerships made at industry day events benefit all mission partners, Dickens said.
"Paired with government and military, these joint relationships can propel all parties forward as we learn from one another and advance our collaborative goals. The results and relationships are often game changing and can help the Department of the Air Force be at the forefront of new and emerging technologies."
In addition to the industry collider, FORCECON 2022 also includes the Air Force’s first federally-recognized **eSports** **competition** organized by **Air Force Gaming**. The Department of the Air Force Gaming League, Air Force Gaming and Space Force Gaming leverage gaming and the digital universe as an innovative approach to resiliency and force retention, focused on grassroots-level community building across the DoD.FS 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



FORCECON 2022 



AETC 



Air Education and Training Command 



ACOL 



innovation 



AFMISC 



Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center 



gaming 



Port San Antonio 



readiness 



learning 



transformation 



industry collider 



event 



iChallenge 



Air Force Gaming 



esports Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                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 fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                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 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM 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