Defense Innovation Board to discuss new tech 'accelerator'

The Defense Innovation Board will convene Oct. 24 at the Pentagon to discuss a variety of recommendations for the Defense Department, including the establishment of a new technology "accelerator," according to an Oct. 16 Federal Register notice.

The DIB will also meet to discuss the development of an innovation career track at DOD and ways to build innovation capacity with U.S. allies, the notice states.

Potential guest speakers include representatives from the office of the Air Force vice chief of staff, Army Special Operations Command's Future Concepts Team, the Joint Development Technology Accelerators, and others.

The board will also get an update from its science and technology subcommittee on its work to provide recommendations to reform software acquisition.

The DIB was established by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter in 2016 to identify private-sector practices and technological advancements to help DOD find innovative solutions to 21st century challenges.

The board is chaired by Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google's parent company Alphabet, and is composed of several well-known technology firm executives, academics and scientists.