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The Defense Logistics Agency convened government, industry, and academic leaders on Sept. 9 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center for its 7th Annual Industry Collider Day, emphasizing partnerships and innovation under the theme, “Collide to Create: Unlocking Opportunities Through Partnerships and Innovation,” to help co-create the future of defense logistics.
A morning ceremony spotlighted the 7th Annual Collider Awards, which recognize small business partners for innovative solutions. The presentation, led by DLA Vice Director, Mr. Bunn, and Mr. Matthew Beebe, DLA Director of Logistics Policy and Programs, came as the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research program reported nearly 900 proposals across 10 critical technology areas, from advanced cybersecurity and AI-enabled mission planning to expanding domestic aerospace materials production. Winners have yet to be announced.
Afternoon programming shifted to five breakout tracks aimed at giving participants a clear roadmap for partnership, including paths to scale small-business ideas through the SBIR Phase III process, efforts to co-create a resilient global industrial base, exploration of AI and automation, and ways to ignite alliances with academic institutions.
New this year was a dedicated track, “The Power of Synergy: Igniting Government and Academia Alliances,” featuring a fireside chat with Darryl K. Williams, President of Hampton University. Other sessions included a “Meet the MSCs Commanders” panel and a strategic discussion on the future of critical materials.
The day closed with remarks from DLA Chief Information Officer Adarryl Roberts. “Manual data entry and legacy batch processing are no longer viable for modern defense logistics,” said DLA CIO Adarryl Roberts. “We have built the foundation—now we need our industry and academic partners to help us co-create and scale.”
“Today’s energy was just the start—our continued collaboration is what turns these ideas into mission-winning capabilities”, said DLA R&D Deputy Director Martina Johnson.
