The Inaugural Advanced Weapons Technology Summit Concludes with Focus on Critical Chemicals, Collaboration on New Technology Requirements

The Inaugural Advanced Weapons Technology Summit (AWTS) is officially complete! Participating attendees and programs closed out the event with a dual-tracked day of presentations, panels, and 1-on-1 opportunities for industry and academia to collaborate with the government on new technology requirements.

In Track One, government AORs, industry representatives, and academics conducted more than 300 1-on-1 meetings to collaborate on the 60+ new technology requirements briefed by AMTC, DOTC, JEMTP, and NEST during day two. These meetings provided the opportunity for the government to get feedback on their requirements and learn more about the capabilities of the organizations participating in the AWTS.

These 1-on-1 meetings are a critically important part of the rapid prototyping process that facilitates collaboration, helps inform better requirements, and gets the technologies our warfighters need into the field quicker.

Hosted by the Critical Chemicals Collaboration Colloquium (C4),)Track Two featured a series of briefings and panel discussions on securing the nation’s critical chemicals supply chain for advanced warfighter technology development. Additionally, the forum explored advancements in Biotechnology and Critical Chemicals manufacturing, including energetic materials synthesis.

As part of the C4 forum,  Dr. Katherine Sixt, Principal Director for Biotechnology, OUSD R&E, and Dr. Marta Pazos, Critical Chemicals Portfolio Lead DPAI, delivered remarks on the priorities and needs of their organizations.

Additional highlights of the agenda include:

• A panel discussion hosted by Moderated by Paritosh Dave, Leidos Inc., and Mr. Christopher Zember OUSD (A&S) on Advanced Manufacturing. Panelists include:
  • Katherine Sixt, Principal Director of Biotechnology, OUSD(R&E)
  • Derek Abbott, VP of R&D Strategic Partnerships, Amyris
  • Lawrence Farrar, Founder and Owner of Resodyn Corporation
  • Stephen Beaudoin, Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, and Founding Director of the Purdue Energetics Research Center (PERC)
• A presentation from Joseph Mayne, Senior Chemical Engineer, Resodyn Corporation on the Development of Continuous ResonantAcoustic® Flow Technologies for Critical and Energetic Material Synthesis.
• A presentation from Beaudoin on Process and Workforce Development to Span the Valley of Death: De-risking Manufacturing Translation.
• A presentation from Pat Ward, Air Company on Single-Step Production of Alcohols, Paraffins, and Aromatics from CO2 And H2.

Finally, we’d like to thank each of our attendees for being a part of this inaugural Advanced Weapons Technology Summit. As the Nation’s armaments consortium, we are proud to support this landmark event that drove collaboration, helped expand the defense-industrial base, and will ensure America’s warfighters have a decisive edge on the modern battlefield into the future.