Dayton, December 10, 2019: Wright Brothers Institute (WBI), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) have officially partnered to examine future Air Force capabilities. This $1M agreement will leverage WBI’s Artificial-Intelligence-based platform, Wright-AI (Advanced Intelligence) to analyze and predict disruptive, emerging technologies that may have a military application and impact the future battlespace. This new award follows the initial $1M pilot project, successfully completed in September 2019. There is potential for future efforts in 2020 and beyond.
WBI and AFRL’s 17-year Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) provides the flexibility to collaborate with other government agencies and utilizes innovative approaches that enable warfighter capabilities and will accelerate the transition of technology to the Air Force.
Steve Fennessey, Director of Innovation and Air Force/DoD Engagement at WBI says, “Technology trends are too near term. Wright-AI blends human analysts with powerful, advanced intelligence capabilities that go far beyond traditional big data analytics. This partnership will provide high-quality intelligence from every industry and sector, that can be tailored to address the military needs of tomorrow.”
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Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is a cutting-edge innovation and technology commercialization center for the Air Force Research Laboratory, with facilities located just outside of WPAFB in Dayton, OH. We drive fast, agile innovation that enables successful technology development to solve the Air Force’s most complex challenges by leveraging resident experts, unique facilities, disruptive innovation processes and extensive networks. We leverage subject matter experts and intellectual property from AFRL and SBIR companies to unlock the right problem, connect to new partners and synchronize transition pathways through our commercialization partners.
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About AFRL
AFRL is the premier research lab of the United States Air Force. AFRL employs more than 5,700 researchers and scientists who execute a $5B annual budget on behalf of the USAF. AFRL spends more than $550 million in Ohio, with a majority going back into the Dayton Region. Approximately $12.5 million goes to Ohio academia, $260 million toward small business and remainder going to the state industry. AFRL sponsors technology transfer programs that bolster the industrial base, creates jobs and fosters the next generation science and technology workforce by extending its technology outside the fence. It has contributed to significant advancements in modern communications, electronics, manufacturing, and medical research and products.