ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Air Force Research Laboratory here held its inaugural AFRL Innovation Awards, Oct. 4, 2018, at the Lobo Rainforest Building at Innovate ABQ.
The Innovation Awards is an event that highlights AFRL innovators, inventors, discoverers, experts in tech transfer, collaborative transfer, trademarks and patent recipients from the U.S. Patent office.
“The scientists' work has become a national imperative,” said Dr. Kelly Hammett, Directed Energy Directorate director. “If you look at the national defense strategy, look at the Air Force on game-changing technologies to change the battlefield, we can't stay still. We have to develop, transition and transfer technology into the civilian marketplace so that we can reap the benefit of civilian investment. In many cases it comes back to the Department of Defense leaps and bounds ahead of where it might have been if we kept it hidden in the laboratory.”
One winner, Brad Hoff, Directed Energy Directorate senior research physicist, was acknowledged for two patents he had this year and for his work with universities through an educational partnership agreement. The partnership agreement allowed AFRL to transfer technology they developed to universities and for the universities to test and further propagate it.
“It's an honor to be acknowledged for what we are doing,” said Hoff. “It reinforces that AFRL sees what we are doing and thinks it’s important, so it’s another motivator for people to continue do what they are doing.”
In addition to Hoff, more than 60 other scientists were recognized for their accomplishments.