Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Air Force Sets Up Innovation Hub In Austin

The US Air Force said on Wednesday that it has set up one of its "innovation hubs" in Austin, at Austin's Capital Factory. In launch event held on Wednesday morning, U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced AFWERX, an "innovation hub" which the Air Force interacts with startups, offering everything from prototyping support to "engagement opportunities" for startups. The hub is the third AFWERX hub for the Air Force, which also has innovation hubs in Las Vegas and Arlington, Virginia. Wilson said AFWERX was created out of an effort by the Special Operations Command to drive innovation and engage the entrepreneurial community to solve problems in ways that the military is just not good at. Wilson said that the Air Force is particularly difficult to engage with for startups.