Bridging Innovation and Defense: How GaN Technology is Powering the Future of Military Applications
PHOTO BY: U.S. Air Force photo/Ted Pitts
In the rapidly evolving landscape of military technology, maintaining a strategic edge requires continuous innovation and collaboration with diverse partners. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Sensors Directorate recognized this need and embarked on a mission to harness the potential of Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology—a cutting-edge material with the capability to revolutionize power amplifiers for military applications.
The Air Force faces a persistent challenge in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its power systems, particularly in the transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals. GaN technology, which is expected to reach a market size of $26.83 billion by 2032, with a 26% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), offers a significant advantage in power transmittance, promising a 3X improvement over current systems. This technology is already making strides in automotive applications, consumer electronics, data centers, and quantum devices (Precedence Research) (Grand View Research). To explore all possible GaN solutions, the Sensors Directorate needed to identify and engage with non-traditional companies—those not typically within the defense sector—that had the expertise to design and produce these amplifiers. Collaborating with these outside industries fosters a broader innovation ecosystem that could support the Air Force's future needs.
AFRL's challenge extended beyond technology development; it was also about finding the right partners. The Sensors Directorate aimed to entice companies with GaN expertise to participate in a competitive challenge, bringing fresh ideas and approaches to the table. The desired outcome was to create a bridge between commercial innovation and military application, ensuring that the best minds and most advanced technologies were brought to bear on the Air Force’s challenges.
Enter Wright Brothers Institute’s (WBI) proven track record in open innovation challenges. Leveraging deep expertise in market research, technology landscaping, and challenge design, WBI partnered with AFRL to craft and execute the GaN RF Design Challenge. This multi-stage competition was meticulously designed to identify and engage non-traditional partners, evaluate their proposals, and transition successful designs into practical, manufacturable solutions. Following the first two stages, WBI facilitated assessments of challenge results, awarding $2M in total prize money to 10 companies.
WBI’s approach involved designing a comprehensive challenge framework and conducting targeted outreach to attract companies with the right capabilities. Through industry days, marketing efforts, and direct outreach, WBI connected AFRL with a diverse range of potential participants, many of whom were new to working with the military. WBI also facilitated the evaluation of proposals, helping AFRL select the most promising designs and coordinate the subsequent production of prototypes. The third stage resulted in seven additional concepts for future Air Force capabilities.
WBI’s involvement in the GaN RF Design Challenge was a natural extension of its mission to foster collaborative innovation and connect the Air Force with cutting-edge solutions. The goal of WBI’s approach was to not only address the immediate technical challenge but to build a sustainable innovation pipeline for the Air Force. By engaging non-traditional partners and facilitating their entry into the defense ecosystem, WBI helped the Air Force diversify its technological base and accelerate the development of next-generation capabilities.
The GaN RF Design Challenge exemplifies how strategic collaboration between the Air Force and innovative partners like WBI can yield transformative results. By aligning WBI’s expertise with AFRL’s needs, this challenge not only addressed a critical technological gap but also set the stage for ongoing innovation in military technology. As the challenge progresses and new designs are tested and refined, the potential for impactful, real-world applications becomes increasingly clear, reinforcing the value of open innovation in solving the most pressing challenges facing our military today.
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