Second DIUx Location to Open in Boston

      The United States’ Military is the world’s leader when it comes to fielding cutting edge technology on the battlefield. Part of the reason behind the technological superiority of the military lies in the government backed programs that help link private research to the public sector. One such program is called DIUx or “Defense Innovation Unit Experimental”. 
 
      Founded in the Silicon Valley during April of 2015, the primary goal of DIUx is to build a working relationship between the military and private technology companies (1). With help from programs such as DIUx, the United States’ Military has been able to utilize the latest technology available today. The list of new equipment includes everything from weaponized laser systems that destroy targets with ease to injectable sponges that stop hemorrhaging in a few seconds. Many, if not all, of these revolutionary weapons owe their start to privately run research companies.
 
     As a result of the success by DIUx technologies, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter recently announced the plans for the construction of a second DIUx research center in Boston, Massachusetts. Carter and his associates hope that this new east coast hub will further expand the reach of DIUx, giving the military more access to the newest technology available. This second location also strives to implement new strategies in hopes of increasing the efficiency by which new ideas are turned into working prototypes.
 
     If all goes according to plan, this second addition to DIUx will likely bring the United States back to the level of armament research and development which it maintained during the height of the Cold War. Although some believe that this may not be necessary, countries such as Russia, Iran, and China have already begun their own innovative processes for arms development. If the United States is to maintain its position atop the world’s weapons race then it is necessary to continue bridging the gap between the public and private sectors of research.


(1) Pomerleau, Mark. "Carter Christens DIUx Boston." FederalTimes. 27 July 2016. Web. 03 Sept. 2016. 
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