General Dynamics is reshaping how military technology is developed and delivered by transforming competitors into collaborators. Two divisions of the company are establishing coworking spaces and brainstorming events to unite various companies in a bid to build and showcase new technology more efficiently. This week, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) unveiled the **5,200 square-foot Mission Emerge Center** located near **Fort Belvoir, Virginia**. The facility is designed to foster the development of military technology alongside various partners, including cloud service providers, while providing the **Pentagon** with tangible demonstrations of what new innovations can achieve.
“Amy Gilliland, GDIT’s president, emphasized the significance of the new space, stating, ‘I’ve spent a lot of time in my life in uniform—and not in uniform—in the Pentagon, and there isn’t the opportunity in the Pentagon to showcase this…to demonstrably show how it works,'” she told reporters on **December 2, 2023**. The Mission Emerge Center aims to create solutions that can be showcased in a controlled environment, allowing military officials to witness the capabilities of emerging technologies firsthand.
This initiative aligns with the Pentagon’s increasing demand for defense contractors to take greater risks and innovate rapidly. During a speech on **November 7, 2023**, **Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth** warned, “If we are going to prevent and avoid war, which is what we all want, we must prepare now. Our adversaries are not sitting idly by. They’re moving fast.” He noted that the rapid development of capabilities by potential adversaries should be concerning for all Americans.
GDIT’s strategy has evolved over recent years, shifting from being primarily an executor of enterprise IT to focusing on product development. Gilliland noted that their approach has transitioned from simple partnerships with commercial companies to establishing “strategic collaboration agreements.” Earlier this year, GDIT tasked new leaders within its emerging technology division with understanding the needs of the **Defense Department** and identifying promising companies that could help fulfill those requirements.
“Those partnerships can ultimately end up being a teaming arrangement. They could be an acquisition in the future,” Gilliland explained. She highlighted the value of leveraging commercial research and development budgets alongside the expertise of GDIT’s workforce to introduce the best available technology to defense applications.
The Mission Emerge Center is designed to promote co-development, where companies voluntarily contribute their R&D efforts alongside GDIT. Dale Hogan, GDIT’s information systems senior director, stated that the organization does not charge companies for access to the lab, emphasizing that the goal is to maximize impact through collaboration.
While the concept of colocating defense companies is not novel, it is gaining traction as the Pentagon seeks to engage smaller, non-traditional firms often supported by private investors. In a related effort, **General Dynamics Land Systems**, which specializes in combat vehicle manufacturing, plans to join a coworking space that caters to startups and investors in **downtown Detroit**. Scott Taylor, who leads business development for General Dynamics Land Systems, confirmed, “We actually just recently signed to become a full member of Newlab.”
Taylor noted that security protocols at the company’s traditional compound in **Sterling Heights, Michigan**, can sometimes hinder the swift sharing of commercial sector innovations back into defense. Last week, General Dynamics Land Systems hosted an event at Newlab, bringing together military leaders, investors, and drone companies to address challenges faced by ground troops, such as battery life and resupply issues.
“Senior leaders in the Army—from the secretary to the chief—have been encouraging industry to start self-organizing and bring a team of teams together to solve the Army and the Marine Corps’ biggest problems,” Taylor explained. The event, named the **Maneuver Warfighter Industry Symposium**, attracted various defense tech companies, including Anduril, Palantir, and Autonodyne, and aimed to foster collaboration in developing viable solutions for military needs.
As the partnership landscape evolves, Taylor acknowledged that while there is a clear demand for collaboration, assembling the right mix of companies to deliver what the Pentagon requires will take time. “Do we have the right team put together? Not yet,” he admitted. “It’s still in development right now. How we formalize that consortium remains to be seen.”
The initiatives by General Dynamics reflect a broader trend within the defense sector, emphasizing collaboration as a means to enhance innovation and respond to rapidly changing technological landscapes. By creating environments that facilitate cooperation among potential competitors, General Dynamics aims to accelerate the development of the military technologies that will be crucial in addressing future challenges.
