Victoria Coleman, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said DARPA wants to establish a storefront and considers launching a tech accelerator to connect with new companies with innovative technologies, C4ISRNET reported Thursday.
For the storefront, Coleman said she wants it to be a “very casual, informal kind of space” where “people can begin to understand better what our work is, what the opportunities are for them for working with us.”
She said the tech accelerator would “incubate” companies with novel technologies, provide them with mentorship support, workspaces and investments via a national security seed fund and link them to components within the Department of Defense through the Defense Innovation Unit.
“Putting an accelerator on the ground will be really important,” she said. “And of course, you know, Silicon Valley is the first place if you think about it, and that’s right, but it’s not the only place where innovation happens that the department needs to be connected with.”
Coleman will deliver a keynote speech at the Potomac Officers Club’s 7th Annual Defense Research and Development Summit on Jan. 14. The event will highlight the latest R&D priorities within the defense sector and advances and challenges within the development and delivery of innovative platforms.
Click here to register for the 7th Annual Defense R&D Summit.
