Streamlining the US Navy's innovation process: A conversation with Acting CTO Justin Fanelli.
Dec 30, 2024
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Justin Fanelli, the Acting CTO of the US Navy, shares insights on revolutionizing the Navy's innovation process. He discusses the critical need for effective public-private partnerships to enhance national security. The conversation dives into innovative portfolio management strategies that improve operational performance. Fanelli emphasizes the importance of clear communication in innovation adoption and outlines essential steps for engaging with federal systems. This dialogue showcases a transformative approach to integrate technology into military operations.
The U.S. Navy is enhancing its innovation process by fostering public-private partnerships to integrate cutting-edge technologies into national defense.
A structured evaluation model called 'technology horizons' is being implemented to streamline investments in innovative solutions and improve operational outcomes.
Deep dives
Public-Private Partnerships in National Security
The U.S. Navy is strengthening its public-private partnerships to enhance national and economic security. These partnerships include a growing number of private sector collaborators who contribute innovative ideas and technologies. The Chief of Naval Operations has emphasized the need for more industry partners to facilitate effective solutions in national defense, moving beyond the traditional military focus. The increasing engagement with outside sectors demonstrates a recognition of how essential economic and technological capabilities are to overall national strength.
Accelerating Innovation Adoption
The Navy is now prioritizing the adoption of innovations through a more structured and outcome-based evaluation process. Instead of solely addressing identified gaps, it now assesses the potential impact of new technologies and their contributions to operations. This approach enables better decision-making regarding investments, allowing for divestment of less effective systems to reinvest in innovative solutions. By focusing on outcome-driven metrics, the Navy aims to enhance its resilience and address technical debt more effectively.
Bridging the Valley of Death
Efforts are underway to help technology companies, especially in cybersecurity, cross the 'valley of death' to integrate their innovations into the Department of Defense. This involves leveraging various funding mechanisms, such as launch funds and renewal of the Small Business Innovation Research program, to support promising technologies. Programs like APFIT are designed specifically to bridge financial and operational gaps for companies looking to present their solutions to the military. The emphasis is on streamlining the process so that viable technologies can be brought into use efficiently and effectively.
A New Framework for Technology Evaluation
A structured approach has been introduced to evaluate technology maturity and relevance through a model called 'technology horizons.' This model categorizes technologies into different stages, from scouting to production, which helps identify where investments should be made. It also encourages divestment of outdated technologies to make way for new ones that can drive better outcomes. By simplifying the process and aligning technology investments with mission needs, the Navy aims to create a more agile and responsive innovation ecosystem.
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N2K’s Brandon Karpf speaks with guest Justin Fanelli, Acting CTO of the US Navy, about the US Navy streamlining the innovation process. For some background, you can refer to this article.