31 July 2024

Tech and talent are the keys to defense modernization

Michael Bloomberg

The world we know today would not exist without the close ties that bound the Defense Department, academia, and industry throughout the Cold War. The Internet and GPS grew out of those public-private partnerships and became part of the foundation for U.S. leadership in the global economy.

Now the same kinds of partnerships can again help make the Defense Department more innovative and effective — and Americans safer. Military leaders recognize the imperative of forming these partnerships, but clearing away the bureaucratic roadblocks is far easier said than done.

The Pentagon established the Defense Innovation Board, which I have the honor of chairing, to help the department build its relationships outside of government and beyond the existing defense industry. Our role is to conduct independent research and interviews, and then offer recommendations for change to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other senior leaders. In many cases, the capabilities that the department needs already exist. The difficulty lies in adopting and scaling them.


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