The Collaboration and Innovation Center, or “The Lantern,” recently hosted an innovation symposium laying out a blueprint for the future of defense acquisition, including technology transfer and transition within the Department of the Air Force, or DAF.
Nearly 200 government, industry, and academia professionals attended the event at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Applied Research Corporation, or UMLARC, in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
The symposium focused on helping small businesses and other firms navigate complex defense acquisition requirements and turning promising possibilities into fielded capabilities.
“We were especially keen to address the defense ‘valley of death,’ which refers to the gap between technological research and operational deployment,” said Christopher Lind, The Lantern’s executive director.
Scott Aughenbaugh, director of the DAF Technology Transfer and Transition, or DAFT3, Program Office, discussed the tools – particularly technology transfer agreements – available to support engagements with business and academia.
“These agreements create a protected environment for operating public-private partnerships in which the interests of all parties are preserved,” he said. “Technology transfer and transition serve as great enablers of public-private partnerships. These processes enable acquisition to take place faster and more efficiently, speeding the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter.”
Aughenbaugh also emphasized the importance of outreach, communication, and collaboration. He emphasized that these activities are essential for facilitating technology transfer success, as formal agreements often emerge only after informal relationships are developed and fostered over time.
The symposium also featured several panel discussions, including sessions on wartime acquisition strategy, artificial intelligence capabilities, and contracting strategies.
“These discussions helped attendees think through the process of implementing and actualizing some of the broad ideas presented in individual talks,” said Lind.
Attendees left the event with five key takeaways:
- Accelerating Capability Delivery: Success is measured not by moving through a process, but by delivering meaningful capability to the warfighter.
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Moving Beyond the Pilot Phase: Innovation only creates value when it transitions into sustainable, fielded operational capability.
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Partnerships as a Multiplier: The strongest competitive advantages are the partnerships that enable technology to move faster and further.
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People, Trust, and Leadership: Technology creates opportunity; people, leadership, and culture determine if it becomes an outcome.
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Transition is the Mission: Success is defined by what reaches the warfighter and produces a tangible mission impact.
“Overall, the symposium helped attendees learn about the current state of DAF technology transfer and transition,” said Lind. “I hope it also helps inspire them to think about what will be necessary to achieve lasting success in the future.”
The Lantern will host a “Light the Lantern” event in October 2026 to give industry partners an opportunity to showcase technology and solutions that could help address Air Force challenges.
About The Lantern
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Cyber and Networks Directorate’s Enterprise Information Technology and Cyber Infrastructure Division maintains a Collaboration and Innovation Center – also known as “The Lantern” – at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. The center is committed to facilitating technology transfer and ensuring broad application of scientific and technological innovations achieved at Hanscom Air Force Base. It is especially focused on cybersecurity and actively collaborates with local, state, and regional partners in pursuing its goals.
About PIAs
UMLARC holds a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with DAF. DAF PIAs facilitate technology transfer and transition, generating economic benefits and accelerating the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to the warfighter. DAF PIAs are overseen by the DAFT3 Program Office. According to DAF PIA Team Lead Tricia Randall, PIAs “are critical for connecting DAF with external networks consisting of academic and industry partners, rapidly accelerating technology transfer and transition and multiplying the impact of federal investments in research and development.”