BRIDGING THE GAP:Improving DoD Innovation Programs to Enhance the Adoption of Innovative Technology Throughout the Armed Services
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Authors
Bresler, Amanda
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2018-04-30
Date
04/30/18
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
For over 60 years, Department of Defense (DoD)ï¾–backed innovation programs have played an outsized role in the narrative surrounding military innovation. While these programs provide valuable benefits, this paper specifically evaluates their effectiveness as a means of enhancing the adoption of innovative new technology throughout the armed forces. To assess how companies that participated in DoD-backed innovation programs performed in the defense sector subsequent to program completion, we compiled a data set of more than 1.29 million defense contract awards over seven years and analyzed the distribution of these awards across a data set of more than 8,000 DoD-backed innovation program award recipients. The results demonstrated that nearly half of participants achieved no meaningful growth in their defense business after program participation; and the small, innovative companies that did successfully bridge program participation into additional DoD business rarely contracted with customers outside of their initial branch sponsor. Through surveys and interviews of key stakeholders, we identified several causes for the low rate of adoption of participants' technology across the armed forces, and we present concrete recommendations for how the Department can address these problems to better leverage DoD-backed innovation programs as a means of enhancing force readiness.
Type
Presentation
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
SYM-AM-18-135
Sponsors
Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research Program
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Citation
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Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.