NSTXL Supports Special Operations Forces Opportunities Through Networking Night

(Tampa, FL) – During a two-day event, industry innovators came together to showcase their technology’s ability to support government projects in a one-of-a-kind collaboration event hosted by NSTXL.

At the current pace of technology advancement, government innovation is increasingly reliant on its ability to acquire emerging technology rapidly and efficiently. As new needs surface, the Department of Defense is looking at industry to contribute new ideas, enabling the U.S to compete with foreign adversaries.

“The strength of the U.S.’s market-driven system is built upon the premise that productive innovation is best delivered by a diversity of competing approaches towards shared problems,” said Jeff Hanton, NSTXL’s Technology Scout.

By encouraging emerging innovators to combine their capabilities in support of a singular, critical goal, the U.S. government can bring the best solutions to the front lines, outfitting our military with the world’s finest technology. To do this, the government needs to access the largest pool of innovators and solicit proposals at the speed commercial industries require; they need to leverage a non-traditional contracting method known as Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs).

While the efficiency and agility of OTAs significantly improve project outcomes, the increased speed (typically a 30-day turnaround) can make partnering on projects challenging due to truncated deadlines. NSTXL identified this problem and in response saw that a new approach to teaming was required.

This year, at the annual SOFIC conference, NSTXL members participated in a two-day Networking Night to support SOF capabilities. Throughout the event, nearly 100 industry members rotated through facilitated roundtable discussions where each participant shared capabilities with potential teaming partners.

Attendees were also joined by Jeremy Lanman, CTO of PEO STRI who shared more on the technical direction and goals of the PEO STRI office.

Networking Nights centered around 13 SOF technology focus areas including, Cyberspace Operations, Information Operations (io), Irregular Warfare, and Weapons & Electronic Attack. These technology areas are not just relevant for future state programming but are represented across upcoming and current solicitations. Following the collaboration series, NSTXL members are now connected and primed to partner on critical opportunities across multiple OTAs and defense agencies.

NSTXL also hosts Teaming Collisions. Launched in 2021 as a virtual, multi-event series to support the Government in achieving market intelligence and rapid acquisition, these Teaming Collisions also provide industry a structured environment for engagement and teaming. Over the last year, five Teaming Collisions have been hosted to support missions across the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Army.

“By showcasing its modernization roadmap to, and sharing prioritization insights with NSTXL members, PEO STRI continues to smooth the information bridge between Government and Industry,” stated Erin Kupcak, NSTXL’s Strategic Events Manager. “The result is an ecosystem of innovation and trust.”

Whether they are project-specific or focused on larger technology areas, each event is developed with the same goal in mind: create stronger synergy between Government and Industry to design world-class solutions in support of the warfighter.