AFWERX shared on LinkedIn Friday that it has collaborated with SpaceWERX to launch a Manufacturing Challenge aimed at accelerating the development of technologies and bridging gaps in the defense industrial base.
Enhancing National Security Through Innovative Partnerships
The innovation arms of the Department of the Air Force and the U.S. Space Force intend to bolster national security and meet evolving operational demands by encouraging partnerships between small businesses and the defense manufacturing ecosystem.
The initiative will involve a couple of two-day workshops intended to address challenges in aerospace production. The first workshop will be held from April 1 to 2 and will focus on advanced materials, additive manufacturing, composite structures, semiconductor innovations and other physical components of aerospace production. The second workshop, held on April 3 to 4, will involve systems integration, electronic subsystems, radiation-tolerant electronics and space power and propulsion.
The Manufacturing Challenge aims to support the U.S. industrial base and strengthen national security by enhancing transitions between commercial and defense manufacturing. It utilizes the Small Business Innovation Research program to fund innovative projects.
“We need to rethink how we manufacture, how fast we produce and how quickly we can pivot,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and DAF chief commercialization. “We can’t just go to war with a few hundred advanced systems — we need thousands, even tens of thousands. The ability to produce at scale is critical,” he added.
