The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) has signed a partnership agreement with The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to build an innovative workforce optimized to advance national security technologies in support of the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), university officials announced today. In doing so, NSIN and CMI2 will join the Invention to Innovation Center (I²C) as a strategic partner to align the work of Huntsville-area innovators, UAH and other non-traditional technology companies with the activities of the Department of Defense. UAH currently supports NSIN’s Acceleration Portfolio which focuses on rapid conversion of dual-use technology solution concepts into functioning prototypes for the military.
"There has always been an enormous amount of entrepreneurial talent in the Huntsville area,” said Morgan Plummer, Managing Director, NSIN. “Entities like I²C create a hub of activity to collaborate and develop solutions to some of the most challenging national security problems and in this case, we are also able to leverage the expertise from UAH.” The partnership of UAH, I²C and the Huntsville community, combined with CMI2 and NSIN provides an innovation concept that could be emulated elsewhere, according to NSIN officials. NSIN is a DoD program office that collaborates with major universities and the venture community to create solutions that drive national security innovation. NSIN operates 3 Portfolios of programs and services: National Service, Collaboration, and Acceleration. Together, these Portfolios form a pipeline of activities and solutions that accelerate the pace of defense innovation.
“CMI2 is committed to building a footprint in Alabama and no other place in the US exemplifies the intersection of “civil-military” innovation like Huntsville,” said Dr. Zenovy S. Wowczuk, Managing Director of CMI2.
“A key part of our mission at the I²C is to build partnerships and create entrepreneurial ecosystems and hubs to empower our area innovators,” said Rigved Joshi, Director of I²C. “Our partnership with NSIN and CMI2 supports this mission and also helps expand the impact of entrepreneurs in the North Alabama and South-Central Tennessee region.”
ABOUT NSIN
The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) is a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) program office within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) that collaborates with partners from major research universities and the venture community to provide solutions to the real-world problems of warfighters. We operate three portfolios of programs and services: Education, Collaboration and Acceleration. Together these three independent portfolios form an interconnected pipeline of activities and solutions that accelerate the pace of defense innovation for DOD. For additional details visit National Security Innovation Network.
ABOUT CMI2
The Civil-Military Innovation Institute Inc. (CMI2) supports the creation and utilization of a dynamic civil-military innovation workforce. Offering senior military management expertise, university innovation executive management, and commercial research management capabilities, CMI2 supports client activities by the US Department of Defense and public safety communities. For additional details visit Civil Military Innovation Institute.
ABOUT I²C
The I²C serves as regional resource for emerging technology companies through leadership and support of entrepreneurial initiatives throughout North Alabama and South-Central Tennessee 15 county region - including Madison County and the other counties in the Huntsville commuter shed: Blount, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, and Morgan counties.
I²C focuses on venture acceleration, mentorship, programming and incubation - a vibrant and dynamic platform that supports and stimulates co-creation and open innovation.
All of I²C’s activities and programming elements conducted by / for the regional communities are to encourage sharing, build cross-sector connections and attract like-minded members / participants to contribute, collaborate and thrive under an entrepreneurial environment. I²C’s brand new 45,000 innovation space is scheduled to open June 2019 on the UAH campus. For additional details visit Invention to Innovation Center.