Frequently Asked Questions
What is ERDCWERX?
ERDCWERX is an innovation hub of DEFENSEWERX, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement between DEFENSEWERX and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to help identify new partnerships for innovation and commercialization.
ERDCWERX is an innovation hub of DEFENSEWERX, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement between DEFENSEWERX and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to help identify new partnerships for innovation and commercialization.
ERDCWERX is an innovation hub of DEFENSEWERX. What is DEFENSEWERX?
DEFENSEWERX was established in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is headquartered in Niceville, Florida. The DEFENSEWERX mission is to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem by shaping successful collisions to innovate and commercialize technologies that benefit the warfighter. DEFENSEWERX has several innovation hubs located across the United States, one of which is ERDCWERX.
DEFENSEWERX was established in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is headquartered in Niceville, Florida. The DEFENSEWERX mission is to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem by shaping successful collisions to innovate and commercialize technologies that benefit the warfighter. DEFENSEWERX has several innovation hubs located across the United States, one of which is ERDCWERX.
What is a partnership intermediary?
A partnership intermediary is a not-for-profit entity or agency which is owned, chartered, funded, operated in whole or in part by a State or local government "that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms" or educational institutions "that need or can make demonstratively productive use of technology related assistance from a Federal laboratory" (Authority: 15 USC 3715).
A partnership intermediary is a not-for-profit entity or agency which is owned, chartered, funded, operated in whole or in part by a State or local government "that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms" or educational institutions "that need or can make demonstratively productive use of technology related assistance from a Federal laboratory" (Authority: 15 USC 3715).
How does the partnership intermediary benefit the ERDC?
The partnership intermediary allows the ERDC to:
The partnership intermediary allows the ERDC to:
- drive technologies faster, more cost effectively, and through more channels to meet warfighter needs, accelerating tech transition;
- identify new opportunities for collaboration, leveraging ERDC technologies, IP portfolios, and unique testing and facility capabilities;
- solve complex technical challenges, finding new solution providers; structuring partnerships and facilitating technology transfer opportunities; and
- create new business environments, enabling the ERDC to do tasks that are difficult or impossible inside the fence, discovering unrealized opportunities that convert innovation into valued outcomes.
What are the capabilities of ERDCWERX?
The ERDCWERX facility will have several spaces to accommodate meetings, workshops, interactive collisions, and other collaborative events. Each space will be designed to encourage innovative thought and can be rapidly reconfigured to accommodate the needs of the user.
The ERDCWERX facility will have several spaces to accommodate meetings, workshops, interactive collisions, and other collaborative events. Each space will be designed to encourage innovative thought and can be rapidly reconfigured to accommodate the needs of the user.
What is the ERDCWERX ecosystem?
The ERDCWERX ecosystem is comprised of industry, academia, labs, and government stakeholders that care about solving challenging warfighter problems to protect our freedoms and way of life. When the ERDC brings a challenge to ERDCWERX, the ERDCWERX team notifies ecosystem members about the opportunity.
The ERDCWERX ecosystem is comprised of industry, academia, labs, and government stakeholders that care about solving challenging warfighter problems to protect our freedoms and way of life. When the ERDC brings a challenge to ERDCWERX, the ERDCWERX team notifies ecosystem members about the opportunity.
How do I join the ERDCWERX ecosystem?
Join the ERDCWERX ecosystem here.
Join the ERDCWERX ecosystem here.
Is my IP/idea protected?
Ideas submitted should contain only public information. The challenge is open for anyone to view, so each team needs to protect its own IP until they get to a stage where it makes sense to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Ideas submitted should contain only public information. The challenge is open for anyone to view, so each team needs to protect its own IP until they get to a stage where it makes sense to sign non-disclosure agreements.