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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

  • Setting the foundation for an energy-optimized and lethal Air Force

    As 2020 approaches and the Air Force prepares to take on the challenges of the next decade, we must also review our successes and lessons learned. For Air Force Operational Energy, 2019 was a year for laying the foundation to build a more optimized and lethal force in the years to come. By

  • AFRL leads defense production program to success in FY19

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory, serving as Department of Defense Executive Agent for the Defense Production Act Title III Program, reveled in a successful fiscal year marked by several accomplishments and successes into the new year.The DPA Title III

  • Dorm app innovation improves Airmen quality of life

    A senior noncommissioned officer developed an app to streamline the process of how dorm residents submit work order requests at RAF Mildenhall, England. Master Sgt. Erika Jones, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron airmen dorm leader superintendent, credits her innovation to the support of her team at the

  • Aircrew Flight Equipment: Putting the AFE in SAFE

    The hum of lights and subtle creaking of sewing machine pedals fill the air of an otherwise silent room. Technicians, concentrated on expertly constructing each component of a parachute, apply their unique skill set and range of knowledge to ensure perfection with every stitch.

  • AFRL creates new modular weapons storage for cargo aircraft

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Junior Force Warfighter Operations team is at it again.Their current project is an updated gun rack or Modular Weapon Storage System, for the U. S. Air Force C-130 aircraft.The team, known collectively as JFWORX, is a group

  • Training the MacGyvers of the Air Force

    Spinstra, or Special Instrument Training, has moved out of the Brandenburg Hall to join the 312th Training Squadron, at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, giving them more room and opportunity to train the 9S100s, Scientific Application Specialists.

  • AFIMSC innovation streamlines comptroller tasking process

    After three years of brainstorming and research, Linda Alcala and her finance operations team have found a way to simplify management of Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Resources Directorate tasks to installation comptroller squadrons.The team launches an innovative task management

  • BLUE: Target Acquisition

    To meet emerging threats and maintain domain dominance, the Air Force is moving beyond antiquated acquisition processes and opening new avenues to smaller, more agile businesses to develop and acquire new technology.

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.