During the week of 5-9 May 2025, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will host its Autonomy Industry Day in Dayton, Ohio with industry partners invested in technologies related to autonomy software. This invitation is open to (US) domestic partners, including participants from large and small businesses, academia, and FFRDCs that are vetted to receive controlled unclassified information. Further details on agenda information and registration instructions will be posted in the coming weeks.
PURPOSE: The objective is to align the government-industry community by (a) gathering situational awareness on industry’s readiness to help AFRL develop, prototype, and transition autonomy technologies in the current or next epochs and (b) informing and guiding IR&D and other investments to align with DAF and DoD needs.
SCOPE: In support of the purpose, the industry day offers AFRL briefings by technical subject matter experts (SMEs) outlining forecasted autonomy needs and opportunities enabling the air, space, weapons, or C3BM (command control communications battle management) domains. Upon registration, industry participants may submit limited requests for private, one-on-one meetings with AFRL technical SMEs to brief and discuss industry participant’s current and prospective investments aligned enabling autonomy in the air, space, weapons, or C3BM domains.
BACKGROUND: The “Autonomy Industry Day” is a first step toward an overarching goal to accelerate development and transition of autonomy software enabling autonomy systems. As related by the DAF’s “Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition (GPC)”, the nation is at a critical juncture. Autonomy plays a crucial role for scaling our warfighters’ ability to fight with speed, scope, and complexity in pursuit of the DAF’s operational imperatives (OIs). Rising to the challenges posed by the GPC, consequently, necessitates a government and industry community that is able to readily and effectively partner and rapidly respond to meet the nation’s burgeoning strategic autonomy needs in the domains of Air, Space, Weapons, and C3BM (command control communications battle management).
DISCLAIMER: This announcement does not constitute an invitation for bid or request for proposal. Any procurement action for this effort will be the subject of a separate, future announcement on SAM.gov. The Government is not under any obligation to award any related contract associated with this event. The Government will not reimburse any contractors for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this notice or participating in the Industry Day, and participation is voluntary.
If you have any questions about Industry Day or related acquisition and programmatic questions, please send an email to afrl.rq.autonomyindustryday@us.af.mil.
