By Melissa Hirsch, Office of Army Prize Competitions and Army Applied SBIR Program

WASHINGTON – Led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, the U.S. Army xTech and Army SBIR Innovator’s Corner will return to the 2023 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9-11. The Innovator’s Corner will feature small businesses and nontraditional innovators who are revolutionizing Army tech capabilities through the ASA(ALT)-led xTech and SBIR programs as a runway to Army partnerships.

Over the course of AUSA, xTech and Army SBIR participants from the past year will exhibit within the Innovator’s Corner to demonstrate will how their science and technology solutions can fill critical mission gaps and enhance Soldier readiness. The companies will also be available to speak about their experiences with xTech and/or Army SBIR, and the benefits these programs bring to the table for nontraditional innovators who are expanding their reach to Army customers.

The Innovator’s Corner will be hosted in Hall B, Booth #2261 of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during AUSA’s regular exhibit hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will feature 10 companies each day, including the Army SBIR CATATLYST awardees announced in May 2023; xTechInternational and xTechSearch 7 winners announced in June 2023; and xTechPacific finalists announced in August 2023. These innovators are traveling from across the country and internationally to address topics ranging from advanced manufacturing and materials, artificial intelligence and machine learning, climate and clean tech, autonomy, and logistics and solutions to the tyranny of distance faced in the U.S. Pacific region.

In addition to representation from nontraditional innovators, team members from the xTech and Army SBIR Program will also be on site to discuss future competitions, Army SBIR solicitations, programmatic news and how these programs are paving the way for Army modernization.

“The annual Innovator’s Corner at AUSA is a prime opportunity not only for xTech and SBIR companies to demonstrate their technologies, but for other small businesses and Army programs to learn more about the xTech and SBIR programs’ critical work to foster increased innovation in the Army technology ecosystem,” said Dr. Matt Willis, director of Army Prize Competitions and the Army Applied SBIR Program. “These interactions also foster further collaboration between entities who have traditionally not interacted with each other, allowing for more innovation and diversity in future competitions.”

Dr. Willis will also lead an Army Office of Small Business Programs panel discussion at AUSA on Oct. 10 from 3-4:15 p.m. in Room 201, where he will discuss the Army initiatives his office has been working on over the past year, as well as the benefits the xTech and Army SBIR programs have to offer. Former xTech participants and current SBIR CATALYST awardees Compound Eye and ANDRO Computational, and their Army transition partners, will also share the opportunities xTech and Army SBIR have provided to their companies and to Army programs.

For additional information, please reach out to the U.S. Army xTech Program at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.xtechsearch@mail.mil or visit https://meetings.ausa.org/annual/.

Established in 2018, the Army xTech Program strives to integrate small and nontraditional businesses into the Army’s science and technology ecosystem. It provides opportunities for direct exposure to laboratories, program executive offices and program managers across the Army.

Participants receive detailed feedback from Army and DoD stakeholders and have access to training, mentorship and other support infrastructure. This feedback helps guide businesses through the competition and determine where their solutions best align within the Army.

The xTech Program holds several competitions per year. These include open-topic competitions such as xTechSearch and technology-specific competitions that target key Army challenges. For more xTech information, please visit the Army xTech website.

The Army SBIR Program releases contract opportunities on a rolling basis to respond to the Army’s current and expected warfighting technology needs. For eligibility information and a list of open solicitations, please visit the Army SBIR|STTR website.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology offers the American Soldier a decisive advantage in any mission by developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining the world’s finest equipment and services. It also leverages its technologies and capabilities to meet current and future Soldier needs. To learn more, you can visit the ASA(ALT) website.