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Welcome!

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What can we do to help you?

  • In-House  
    Assist and collaborate with your Airmen to identify a problem set (generate problem statement) & develop solutions in-house.
     
  • Collaborative Research  
    Connect Airmen with AFWERX, DoD, or consultant to further develop/accelerate project to solutions. 
     
  • Knowledge Exchange   
    Furnish your Airmen with academic opportunities for individual or organizational learning. 
     
  • SIF Management 
    Provide guidance to squadrons to meet CSAF intent and assist with squadron innovation funds supporting projects. 
     
  • SBIR Collaboration  
    Partnering with AFWERX to pair up your pain points with startups who can provide the solutions. 

Elevate Office

Educate explore exploit


INTRO TO 3D PRINTING
Are you interested in 3D printing and looking for a practical and compact entry-level course, but don't feel like reading or searching for information? Then this course is well suited for you! In this workshop you will learn all the basics you need to know in order to operate a 3D printer and create your own 3D printed objects. Start now with this professional, descriptive and step-by-step 3D printing tutorial, made by Elevate’s Chief Maker!  Sign up now!

 

Air Force Innovation ARticles

  • Another ‘step’ in maintaining the mission

    At the 97th Air Mobility Wing, aircrew are trained daily on the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-46 Pegasus and the KC-135 Stratotanker. While training occurs, the 97th Maintenance Group continuously works to keep the mission moving forward. When the 97th MXG discovers a need for a unique item, the

  • AFMC seeks innovative ideas through Ideascale Campaign

    To support the drive to deliver what the Air Force needs at the speed of relevance, Airmen and civilians from across the Air Force Materiel Command enterprise are invited to submit innovative ideas and solutions to improve the AFMC mission through the U.S Air Force Ideation Platform, or Ideascale,

  • Air Force announces Spark Tank 2020 selectees

    The Air Force has selected six more ideas to be shared directly with Air Force senior leaders at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium, February 28, 2020, in Orlando, Florida. These are their ideas and links to their innovations.

  • I-WEPTAC 2020 registration opens

    Registration for the fourth annual Installation and Mission Support Weapons and Tactics Conference opened Tuesday. Hosted by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, the annual event is the Air Force’s only innovation forum for members of the installation and mission support community.

  • Whiteman AFB hosts Innovation Showcase

    Airmen assigned to the 131st and the 509th Maintenance Squadrons, hosted a showcase to explain their squadron’s innovation, a shortened B-2 Spirit phase inspection process on Dec. 11, 2019 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

  • Air Force announces Spark Tank 2020 selectees

    Spark Tank also offers Airmen the opportunity to get their ideas in front of key enabling agencies that can share expertise and resources such as funding or personnel for the projects being presented and demonstrate pathways for intrapreneurs to make their initiatives successful.

  • Virtual care: Trusted care anytime, anywhere

    In the middle of Nebraska at a missile alert facility, an Airman gets a fever and needs to see a doctor but the Airman’s options are limited until now. Maj. Michael Vernale, 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, mental health flight commander, in partnership with the 90th Missile Wing

  • Year in Review: Hill Air Force Base’s top stories in 2019

    Hill Air Force Base has seen some major successes in 2019, much of it fueled by enhancements to the installation's infrastructure, achievements in the area of warfighter readiness, and milestones reached by the base's fighter wings. Here’s a look at some of the top stories covered.

Motivation

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

TED Radio Hour: Failure Is An Option

Difference Between Innovation and Invention

Why Innovation is Crucial to Your Organization

What Really Makes Something Innovative?

How Leaders Inspire Innovation

 

Leader's inspiration

"...We have to think about the technology and the innovation that we need 10 to 15 to 20 years from now. We have to start thinking about it and start building it right now." - CMSAF Kaleth O. Wright 

"Innovative Airmen find better ways of doing the mission... Their intrapreneurship makes us more lethal, more efficient — they must be supported by leaders who not only remove unnecessary barriers to success, but who also lift up and champion their ideas... And because we’ve shown them we believe in their ideas, I want them to keep swinging until we find the answer." - Gen David L. Goldfein 

"Innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It is fueled from a spirit of experimentation and driven by Airmen with the best training, the right tools, and a workplace environment that promotes innovation. The threat and environmental challenges presented by our adversaries require that we aggressively investigate mission-focused ideas involving machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomy, big data analytics... AMC will make bold investments in innovation that increase readiness and posture AMC forces to remain effective in a fast-paced and challenging future." - Gen Maryanne  Miller 

“We are at the beginning of a big culture shift in the government. We woke up and said we are not the only funder or inventor of new technology anymore…we are a partner with those who do.” – Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics 

Take a 3D printing class!

 

Newsletter

Click HERE for Elevate's monthly newsletter

CONTACT US

Chief Innovation Officer
(vacant) 

Deputy Chief Innovation Officer
Mike Martinez

SEL/Lead Engineer
Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo

Innovation Specialist
Staff Sgt. Brad Vickers

Contact Us
Email: 375amw.safb.elevate@us.af.mil
Phone: 618-256-4802

Where are we located?
The lab is located on the second floor of the Warmer Fitness Center.


Elevate is an Airmen-led innovation office focused on connecting our Airmen's problems to those in industry, academia or government. 
We work closely with AFWERX, the Secretary of the Air Force's innovation arm, and the main conduit for executing Small Business Innovation
Research, or SBIR, funds for the Air Force.

Elevate is a grassroots innovation program whose mission is to bring tomorrow’s tools to the warfighter today while inspiring a bottom‐up culture of innovation. We create unique opportunities for external partners to work directly with military on interesting problems, which also allows for rapid fielding solutions. 

Have an idea?

Please send any innovative ideas or service requests to us via our intake form found at the below QR Code & link.