Readout of the Defense Innovation Board Winter 2024 Meeting
The Defense Innovation Board (DIB) held its winter board meeting in the Pentagon on Jan. 26, 2024. At 10 EST, DIB Executive Director and Designated Federal Officer, Dr. Marina Theodotou, called the public portion of the meeting into session.
The DIB Chair, Mr. Michael R. Bloomberg, gave remarks on the state of Department of Defense innovation efforts, and then turned to the DIB Members to discuss findings and recommendations from two studies that were initiated in October 2023, entitled "Lowering Barriers to Innovation" and "Building a DoD Data Economy".
DIB member, Hon. Susan M. Gordon, briefed key takeaways from the Lowering Barriers to Innovation study. The board identified seven domains of barriers across security, acquisition, information technology, human capital, culture, data, and partnerships; and provided 17 actionable recommendations developed through months-long research with defense, academia, and industry stakeholders. The board concluded that if implemented, these recommendations will facilitate, adopt, and scale innovation across DoD.
The board heard feedback on its first study from Dr. Mark Livingston, Assistant Director of Personnel Security at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), and Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Frank L. Kelley, Vice President of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Dr. Livingston discussed the needed for urgency and speed through changes such as expedited security facility clearance and clearance reciprocity. Brig. Gen. Kelley emphasized the need for enterprise-level cultural change, transformation, innovation, and readiness through decisive and engaged leadership.
DIB member, Ryan Swann, briefed key takeaways from the Building a DoD Data Economy study. Focusing on key objective around people, process, and technology, the board observed the need for immediate action addressing barriers to DoD data access and sharing, breaking silos to data innovation within DoD, and empowering data stewards across the ecosystem to lead more effectively. The board also discussed the need for empowering young digital natives, upskilling data talent in the existing national security workforce, and upgrading DoD contract incentives for industry partners.
Dr. Craig Martell, the Department's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO), underscored the importance of emulating industry's data as a product mindset, addressed the need for collaboration on analytic and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, data access across the services and combatant commands, and digital talent management.
The DIB chair and members voted unanimously to approve their findings and recommendations for Department leadership.
The chair then announced two new studies on "Aligning Incentives to Drive Faster Tech Adoption" ("Incentives Study") and "Optimizing How We Innovate with Our Allies and Partners" ("Allies and Partners Study"). The board is expected to finalize its next recommendations by April 2024.
Dr. Theodotou adjourned the public portion of the meeting at 11:16 am EST.
Afterwards, in closed sessions, the DIB heard from senior department leaders, met with representatives from international allies and partners, and briefed Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks on the findings and recommendations from their publicly released studies. The board also apprised Deputy Secretary Hicks of its upcoming studies.
The DIB provides the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and other senior DoD leaders with independent advice and recommendations on innovative means to address future challenges and ways to leverage strengths across the public and private sector to advance national security and economic security.
Additional information about the DIB, its newly-released studies, and forthcoming studies can be found on its website.
