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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

  • Innovation success: Reusable containers save thousands

    At the Joshua Tree Dining Facility, Styrofoam containers have been the container of choice for grabbing a meal on the go.Recently, the cost for these containers was set to increase from $8,000 per month to $24,000 per month as a result of an increase in price and usage. In the long run, these costs

  • USAF Spark Tank finalists, winner visit AFTAC

    Finalists from the 2019 Air Force Spark Tank competition visited the Air Force Technical Applications Center here March 1 to meet with members of the center’s Innovation Lab and observe how failure has led to success for the nuclear treaty monitoring organization.

  • New AFRL podcast goes behind the scenes

    From supersonic flight to GPS and space food, big developments come out of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The “Lab Life” podcast provides listeners insight into the fascinating work and lives of the people who lead the discovery, development and delivery of warfighting technologies for our air,

  • “Fire Pit” provides creative space, assistance to AETC innovators

    With an eye towards continuing development of a world-class culture of innovation, Air Education and Training Command officially opened the “Fire Pit” with a ribbon cutting ceremony here March 5. Mirrored to the wing level Spark Cell variant, the AETC Fire Pit is the major command’s effort to

  • 16th TRS at the forefront of innovation

    Ensuring Airmen are ready to meet the joint-warfighting needs of today’s dynamic security environment in a way that moves with 21st Century speed is a challenge faced in every training environment in Air Education and Training Command.Innovating through inspiration from AETC’s beta-testing of a new

  • Innovation Rodeo moves ideas closer to reality

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Three innovative ideas that support worldwide warfighter success are one step closer to reality today thanks to the first Air Force Innovation Rodeo, $650,000 in total seed money, and a partnership with AFWERX and tech accelerator companies.During the Air Force Installation and

  • Weatherington visits CAFB

    Maj. Gen. Mark Weatherington, deputy commander of Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, spoke to Airmen from across Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, Feb. 20, 2019, about wing, group, squadron, and individual unit performance and some of their hurdles.

  • Spangdahlem AB master sergeant wins Spark Tank competition

    Master Sgt. Jonathan Maas assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was named the 2019 Spark Tank winner during the Air Force’s Spark Tank competition at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 28, in Orlando.

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.