Innovation for the Future: A Critical Review of Global Defence and Security Innovation Programs will be focused on improvements and shared lessons learned, overall program management, development of defence & security capabilities, the path to acquisition, and the future of defence and security innovation. The program itself will be structured around a formal plenary session, with smaller, focused presentations being conducted afterward on specific themes related to defence and security innovation.

Keynote speaker: Pete Newell

Evolving Readiness: From Seed to Scale - Thursday, March 03, 8:15 - 9:00 

One of the most effective ways intrapreneurs in government agencies can drive change is to abandon the idea that innovation is inextricably linked to creating never-before-seen technology. And yet, that’s easier said than done.

What keeps people from creating workable solutions to tough problems is a failure to see and understand the actual problem. Big organizations spend years investing in and creating a constant generation of new ideas, people, technologies and operating concepts but fail to make progress solving critical challenges. That’s because there’s a tendency to think, “This problem exists because there is not an existing technology to fix it, therefore we must develop new technology.”

But in reality, innovation is a sociological problem, not a technology challenge. We have all the tech in the world, but what we don’t have, sometimes, is the ability to say, “Your system is getting in the way.”

In this keynote presentation, Pete Newell, CEO of the innovation company BMNT, will discuss how to address the “people” aspects of innovation, including how to

• Work within established systems to create change instead of taking the risk of breaking them down when they are aren’t working
• Build parallel, connected, and complimentary activities for innovation and execution so we are ready to win the next fight -- and an Innovation Doctrine to guide these efforts
• Implement an Innovation Pipeline® to ensure change-making solutions get into the hands of the people who need them most

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Attendance at the Innovation for the Future workshop is by invitation only and is limited to individuals from the Defence and Security Innovation sector who are from a recognized government department and/or program. Please reach out to your country’s Defence and Security Innovation program directly to request an invitation to the workshop.
• The agenda is in DRAFT form and it is subject to change and updates. 
• This event is held in English from March 1st to 3rd, 202