b'Conversations with LeadersLeading the Defense Innovation Unit: A Conversation with Michael Brown, Director, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Department of Defense By Michael J. KeeganThe Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is the only U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military to help it solve critical problemsand build a future-ready force. DIU is building the technology pipeline, explains Michael Brown, director of the DIU. We work to ensure our global leadership, alongside our allies and partners, by forging new partnerships and growing the innovation ecosystem. A thriving public-private ecosystem is essential to maintaining American competitiveness. Michael Brown joined me on The Business of Government Hour to discuss DIUs critically important mission, his fast-follower strategy, and how it uses alternative acquisition approaches to bring commercial technology into the U.S. Department of Defense. We also discuss what DIU is doing to give innovative businesses and startups the opportunity to solve high-impact national security problems, and The department needed to become better adept at fielding highlight some key successes. The following is an editedand scaling this technology across the U.S. military. For these excerpt of our discussion, complemented with updated reasons, he established DIU (then DIUx with the x standing and additional research. for experimental) to lead this mission and realize this vision. On the History and Mission of the DefenseSince its inception, DIUs mission has expanded. We Innovation Unit continue to focus on accelerating the adoption of commercial In 2015, then Secretary of Defense Ash Carter created DIUtechnology. But weve also taken on two additional core with the expressed purpose of helping the U.S. military makeelements to expand and diversify the types of companies the faster use of emerging commercial technologies. Secretarydepartment can access. In the National Defense Strategy, we Carter saw that more R&D spending in the U.S. was happeningcall that the national security innovation basemeaning faster in the commercial sector than in the federal government.we need to work with more than just the defense contractors It was essential, therefore, to get access to this commercialto make innovative capability available for the department. technology in areas like artificial intelligence autonomousHere are the two complementary efforts that now reside systems and cyber to enhance our warfighting capability.within the DIU umbrella: 10 www.businessofgovernment.org The Business of Government'