MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited the newest DEFENSEWERX location in Montgomery, Ala., MGMWERX, Aug. 26.
MGMWERX, established as a Partnership Intermediary Agreement between DEFENSEWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory, augments ongoing Air University programs to enhance production of high-quality, innovative research and thought pieces that address issues of importance to the Air Force.
The innovation hub will align with the education initiatives of Air University, based at Maxwell Air Force Base, to inspire new thinking, optimize talent, and become a breeding ground for innovative thought.
During her visit, Wilson saw examples of upcoming opportunities and projects at the company’s new location inside Montgomery’s innovation district.
“We have to move faster and be smarter,” Wilson has said. “We know there are people out there with answers to problems, with ideas and innovations, and we are going to look at what they have and help them help us.”
The director of MGMWERX, Bill Martin, said his team will do this by leveraging “‘outside the gate’ thinking and ideas to facilitate and accelerate experimentation with emerging technologies – and solve real-world problems. MGMWERX integrates academia, non-traditional collaborators, regional economic developers and industry with Air University’s research and processes to ultimately get innovation to the warfighter faster.”
According to Air University, through MGMWERX the institution hopes to develop more well-rounded leaders who, through deliberate exposure to a cross section of collaborators, are better prepared to deal with an uncertain future. MGMWERX will innovate and commercialize thoughts and technologies, serving as a neutral facilitator between academia, industry, and military leaders.
The MGMWERX Ecosystem
As part of the DEFENSEWERX ecosystem, MGMWERX connects to a national network that shares and leverages derived solutions for the mutual benefit of the Air Force and the external community.
Joining the MGMWERX ecosystem affords individuals and organizations an opportunity to get involved in creating tangible solutions through innovation and collaboration, workforce development, tech transfer and rapid prototyping activities.
For more information on MGMWERX, connect with us at www.mgmwerx.org.