At Joint Base Andrews, Spark X is an Air Force innovation hub that helps Department of Defense personnel turn everyday operational problems into practical solutions. Falling under AFWERX’s Spark division, the center combines hands-on making with digital development and teaches skills personnel can apply in their units. Its projects have included a 3D-printed lavatory-puck box for the 89th Maintenance Group and a portable equipment-reservation app for the 316th Wing.
Civil-Military Innovation Institute, IncFrom its headquarters in Morgantown, West Virginia, the Civil-Military Innovation Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that turns frontline military needs into field-tested prototypes and deployable defense solutions. CMI2’s “Innovation in the Dirt” approach embeds its team with Soldiers and units, pairing military experience with technical expertise through DIRT Labs, mobile workspaces, and realistic experimentation. Since 2017, it has maintained personnel embedded at tactical and strategic levels, and nearly 60 percent of its workforce comprises current or former military personnel.MORGANTOWN, WV
A.M. ToolboxA.M. Toolbox grew from founder Jared Crooks’s farm upbringing and his grandfather’s practical approach to finding the right tool for each job. Today, the Dublin, Ohio company applies that same problem-solving spirit to patented additive tooling, helping customers develop rapid parts for commercial and defense applications. Its work has extended to Air Force-supported research through a 2024 AFWERX SBIR Phase I award for carrierless body armor.DUBLIN, OH
National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM)Since its founding in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 2003, NCDMM has built its identity as an independent convener for defense manufacturing innovation. The organization brings trusted partners together to move practical manufacturing advances into U.S. defense programs, helping government and industry address production and sustainment challenges for the warfighter. NCDMM now operates from seven locations nationwide.YOUNGSTOWN, OH
AES2Based in Aberdeen, Maryland, AES2 supports U.S. defense and federal missions by engineering, fabricating, integrating, and fielding C5ISR systems and related operational solutions. Its Systems Integration Lab and access to Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Army Futures Command C5ISR Center give the small business a practical base for rapid prototype design, fabrication, integration, and deployment. AES2 pairs tactical operators with engineers and technical specialists, extending that “Operations & Engineers” approach into training and global implementation support for U.S. agencies and partner nations.BELCAMP, MD