FLC | Project Convergence 2022 web portal opens for prospective Army partners

Project Convergence 2022 web portal opens for prospective Army partners

September 21, 2021

Sometimes collaboration is required to facilitate collaboration. It's true for the Army's third iteration of Project Convergence, which required a team effort to create a web portal where prospective partners from industry, academia and the general public can submit innovative technologies to develop solutions to challenging Army problems.

Project Convergence is an Army campaign of learning, experimentation and demonstration aimed at aggressively integrating the Army’s weapons systems and command and control systems with those of the rest of the Joint Force. The solution submission portal welcomes industry, academia and non-traditional partners to collaborate with the Army by submitting solutions in various collaboration areas. Submissions are open through December 1, 2021. Learn more at https://armyfuturescommand.com/convergence/

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) is part of a team of teams - including joint, Australian, and UK partners - working together to plan Project Convergence 2022 (PC 22). To prepare, three DEVCOM Science & Technology-Integration Divisions — Partnerships, Experimentation and Data Analytics — were instrumental in developing the web portal.

"This project was truly a team effort with DEVCOM S&T-I and G-6, AFC [Army Futures Command] HQ, and the DEVCOM Centers/ARL [Army Research Laboratory] working together to conceive and develop the PC 22 portal. This new, outward facing portal streamlines the industry, academia and non-standard partners’ process, increasing both our efficiency at reviewing submissions and responsiveness to our partners. The speed with which the portal was put in place is representative of the importance that we place on our relationship with industry as a critical DEVCOM/AFC partner," said Collier Slade, director, S&T-I Partnerships Division.

Gen. John M. Murray, AFC commanding general, led a virtual PC round table with industry in June, 2021, where he shared AFC’s vision and commitment to partner with industry, academia and the public. Participants also learned what challenges the Army is aiming to solve through PC 22, and how they can engage with AFC to provide potential solutions. Key technology areas for PC 22 include artificial intelligence/machine learning, autonomy, robotics, common data standards and architectures that will enhance decision speed and multi-domain maneuver at the joint tactical edge, while reducing risk.

DEVCOM works closely with its extensive network of industry, academia and non-traditional partners through various avenues, including cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs). A CRADA is an agreement between one or more federal laboratories and one or more non-federal parties to provide personnel, facilities, equipment or other resources to conduct specific research consistent with the mission of the laboratory. OTAs enable industry and academia to conduct research and prototype activities.

The Army is demonstrating technologies to gather information to ensure joint warfighters have the best capabilities for future battles. Project Convergence is the Army’s priority modernization project and represents a centerpiece of the Army’s transformational change in warfighting. A key part of DEVCOM’s core mission is to provide research, development and engineering expertise to demonstrate near- mid- and far-term technology to support multi-domain operations.

“DEVCOM S&T experimentation plays a crucial role in testing hypothesis and technologies, while evolving warfighting capabilities in support of current and future Army concepts and formations. Our Experimentation Division is a trailblazing team of SMEs [subject matter experts] who synchronize DEVCOM S&T across the Army modernization enterprise, and, most importantly, integrate lessons learned and experience from Soldiers into the Army’s future force,” said Richard Deoliveira, operations chief, Experimentation, S&T-I directorate.