Charleston Reporter

Rep. Nancy Mace, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, participated in a field hearing today to address critical barriers facing companies working with the Department of Defense (DoD). The hearing, titled "Fielding Technology and Innovation: Industry Views on Department of Defense Acquisition," focused on the roadblocks companies encounter and explored potential solutions to streamline the acquisition process for new technologies within the DoD.

The hearing follows up on a February 15 meeting with DoD officials where concerns were raised about the DoD’s risk-averse culture and slow adoption of cutting-edge technologies. As the United States faces growing competition from China in the tech space, Congresswoman Mace and the committee aim to explore ways to close the gap between innovation and deployment, ensuring that warfighters have access to the latest and most effective technologies.

"Winning in the 21st century requires our ability to rapidly acquire and deploy innovative technologies. Our goal with this hearing is to better understand the obstacles faced by industry leaders and what needs to be done to ensure that America maintains its technological edge over adversaries like China," said Congresswoman Mace.

Hearing Details:

Title: Fielding Technology and Innovation: Industry Views on Department of Defense Acquisition

Date: Monday, September 16, 2024

Time: 9:00 AM PST

Location: Event room (2110, 2130, 2150) at the UCSC Silicon Valley Campus

Witnesses Include:

- Mr. Mark Valentine, President of Global Government Business, Skydio

- Mr. Brandon Tseng, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Growth Officer, Shield AI

- Mr. Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Palantir

- Mr. Peter Ludwig, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Applied Intuition

- Mr. Richard Jenkins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Saildrone Inc.

For media inquiries please email SC01press@mail.house.gov

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