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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

  • 1st SOMDSS opens ScriptCenter

    The 1st Special Operations Medical Group and 1st Special Operations Medical Support Squadron opened use of the brand new ScriptCenter, located in the base exchange on Sept. 4, 2020“It’s what we call, in the pharmacy world, an external will-call system,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Michael Braud, chief

  • PACAF innovation lab ‘The Dojo’ now open

    The Pacific Air Forces added a new innovation lab to its roster Sept. 25, 2020 at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Wing leadership and members of the base attended a soft opening of the Dojo, which is the installation’s new hub for problem-solving. The lab is supported by YokoWERX, a spark cell inspired by

  • SECAF explores MHAFB’s unique capabilities, partnerships

    Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett experienced the unique capabilities of the 366th Fighter Wing as well as the wing’s strong strategic partnership with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) during a visit Sept. 24, 2020.

  • 1st SOW Spark Cell hosts Game Changers event

    1st Special Operations Wing personnel, Hsu Educational Foundation personnel, and attendees attend the 1st Special Operations Wing Spark Cell’s Game Changers event in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Sept. 26, 2020. Air Commandos with the 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron volunteered their

  • The Future of Printing

    The soft hum of electric motors fills the air at the back of the 157th Air Refueling Wing’s metal technologies shop as the heated nozzle of their new 3D printer zig-zags back and forth, drizzling layer after layer of extruded plastic; a custom-designed aircraft maintenance tool begins to take shape

  • Acquisition chief calls for disruptive agility, new digital paradigm

    During his Matrix-inspired virtual keynote, Roper discussed the accomplishments and the future of acquisition for the Department of the Air Force while calling for disruptive agility in order to remain competitive in an ever-innovating global security environment.

  • Lt. Gen. Chris Weggeman virtual keynote at AFITC

    Lt. Gen. Chris Weggeman, deputy commander of Air Combat Command delivered a virtual keynote speech and this year’s Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower (AFTIC) Conference. Gen. Weggeman had some fun with his speech, referencing a very popular SciFi movie and using it to compare to our

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

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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.