Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Abstract
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) mission is to strengthen U.S. national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and growing the national security innovation base. DIU partners with organizations across the DoD and the interagency to rapidly prototype, field, and scale commercial solutions that can save lives, lead to new operational concepts, increase efficiencies, and save taxpayer dollars. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago, and in the Pentagon, DIU is able to attract the best and brightest talent and cutting-edge solutions. The National Defense Strategy for FY 2022 asserts that we have returned to an era of inter-state strategic competition with Russia and China, heightening the sense of urgency with which the nation, and Department of Defense (DoD), must reform our acquisition policies and approach to sustaining military-technical superiority. Notably, 11 of the 14 critical technology focus areas are dual use and rapidly developed by the commercial sector. While adversaries are challenging the U.S. across several dimensions, most importantly, our near peer competitors are at par or ahead of the U.S. in critical technology areas. Consistent with the FY 2023 Office of Management and Budget (OMB)/Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) research and development budget priorities, this new era of competition requires technological superiority to ensure the United States’ ability to project power, maintain international norms and rule of law, provide credible deterrence, and prevail in conflict. DIU increases the Department's access to commercial technologies and talent, with the ultimate goal of fielding leading-edge technology to warfighters at the speed of relevance. Working across the country, and in collaboration with our allies and partners, DIU is developing new ways of doing business, growing our national security innovation base to include more "non-traditional" companies that had previously not collaborated with the military, working with traditional vendors in novel ways to increase efficiency, and challenging innovators to share their knowledge and expertise in support of our nation's defense. Through a competitive prototype process, DIU identifies and provides access to technology companies and products on behalf of DoD organizations. Additionally, DIU executes projects to leverage commercial sector technology analogous to military applications thereby increasing dual-use technology agility for the DoD. DIU Prototyping funds facilitate the award of projects that can augment commercial technologies, existing government-owned capabilities, or concepts for defense application. DIU focuses on six technology areas where commercial industry is the lead: •Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) – Applying AI/ML learning to accelerate critical decision making and operational impact. •Autonomy – Adopting and countering autonomous systems with a focus on human-machine interaction and scalable teaming. •Cyber – Making enterprise combat information open, accessible, and secure for defense personnel across the globe. •Energy - Leveraging proven advancement in energy and materials technology to enhance capabilities and strengthen resilience across installation and distributed operations. •Human Systems – Optimizing the human system and its enabling platforms through enhanced equipment, innovative training, and novel health applications. •Space – Developing on-demand access to space, persistent satellite capabilities, and broadband space data transfer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- 0603342D8Z_3_0400_PB_2023
- Change Summary Explanation
- In FY 2022, program reduced by -$5.024 million for unjustified increase. FY 2023 funding increase reflects the fact that the FY 2022 President's Budget request did not include out-year funding.
- Service Agency Name
- Office of the Secretary Of Defense
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
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