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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

  • 8FW flies first 7AF PoBIT upgraded F-16

    After receiving the first phase of one of the largest modernization efforts in U.S. Air Force F-16 program history, an upgraded Fighting Falcon has rejoined the 8th Fighter Wing’s Pack, April 4, 2023. Wolf Pack Tail 021 has returned to 8 FW operations after about seven weeks away for maintenance,

  • F.E. Warren breaks ground on new helicopter, TRF facility

    Members of multiple agencies and units came together to break ground on the new combined helicopter and tactical response force facility outside the Army Aviation Support Center on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, March 31, 2023.

  • The dawn of YARS’s electronic aerial spray

    The 910th Airlift Wing’s aerial spray team returned to Hill Air Force Base, March 6-17, 2023, for its annual aerial spray mission at the Utah Test and Training Range to create fire breaks for wildfire prevention and safe unexploded ordnance removal. But this year’s product sprayed just a bit faster

  • Hill Security Forces leverage technology for smoother base entrance

    Drivers heading onto Hill AFB through one of the three main gates have a new way to determine what travel times look like via a recently added feature on Hill’s Air Force Connect App.Members from the 75th Security Forces Squadron saw a need and came up with the Gate Travel Times feature as a way to

  • Phoenix Spark Innovation Week 2023

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Byron Doan, Phoenix Spark director, gives a speech during a Q&A session with Simon Sinek at Travis Air Force Base, California, March 16, 2023. Phoenix Spark hosted an entire week of innovation-focused classes, events and demos. (U.S. Air Force photo by Chustine Minoda)

  • Super Hercules familiarization

    Guardsmen from the 130th Airlift Wing based out of McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, West Virginia, visited Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, on Feb. 22, 2023, with one of their C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

  • 2023 AEDC Spark Tank initiative funds multiple projects

    Arnold Engineering Development Complex team members were recently granted funding for their innovative ideas as part of the 2023 AEDC Spark Tank.An announcement was made in October 2022 calling all innovators to submit their ideas, and the last day for submissions was Jan.13. The AEDC Spark Tank

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
Capt. Anthony Santoro 

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.