The Department of the Air Force is in the midst of a fundamental transformation—shifting from platform-centric acquisition to digitally enabled, model-based, data-driven capability development. Digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), digital thread, digital twins, artificial intelligence-enabled sustainment, and secure data environments are no longer aspirational concepts. They are operational imperatives. Executing this transformation at speed, however, requires more than new technology. It requires a new structural approach to collaboration and acquisition. The Digital, Research, Innovation, Validation and Experimentation (DRIVE) Consortium was established to meet that need.
What DRIVE Is
DRIVE is a purpose-built consortium designed to accelerate digital transformation across the Department of the Air Force and the broader Department of War. It operates under a cooperative agreement awarded to the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI), a nonprofit organization and trusted U.S. Air Force partner since 1989, in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the AFMC Digital Transformation Office (DTO).
“The DRIVE consortium facilitates rapid R&D innovation.” says William Bernstein, PhD, Tech Area Lead/Materials and Manufacturing Directorate for Air Force Research Laboratory. “To meet the current demands, we view DRIVE as a critical partnership to engage across the DAF and broader DoW industrial ecosystem to realize the warfighter’s needs in the face of the current industrial (digital) revolution.”
The Mission
DRIVE’s mission is straightforward: mobilize the nation’s best industry, academic, and research talent to accelerate Air Force digital transformation across the full lifecycle. The scope is broad and intended to touch every aspect of the entire Air Force value-chain, necessitating engagement with a variety of industry stakeholders and academic institutions.
A Collaborative Ecosystem, Not Just a Contract Vehicle
One of DRIVE’s defining characteristics is its structured, non-competitive collaboration model.
Members include a diverse cross-section of the defense innovation ecosystem that include established primes, mid-tier firms, small businesses, non-traditional technology providers, research institutions, and universities. This diversity enables the formation of integrated teams that combine deep domain expertise with emerging innovation.
This means government partners have access to multi-disciplinary solution sets without the friction of fragmented contracting actions. Industry members can create a governed environment to partner around capability integration, rather than compete on vehicle positioning.
Project opportunities, sometimes non-competitive, are released to the DRIVE consortium, after which teams form rapidly, and awards can be executed in weeks rather than years. The result is reduced protest risk, elimination of redundant bid and proposal (B&P) expenditures, and faster alignment between requirement and execution.
“By joining the DRIVE Consortium, you become part of a unique and diverse eco-system comprised of industry and academia challenged with the national imperative of advancing the digital transformation of the Air Force.” says Bob Dirgo, Senior Program Manager with Parallax/OAI and Program Manager of DRIVE. “For a small or non-traditional business, membership provides a conduit to potential participation in transformative opportunities and\or to engage with larger businesses in the eco-system. For large, traditional industry with transformative digital capabilities, the rapid execution of the contract mechanism accelerates engagement. Enabling industry specializing in the Consortium provides impactful solutions for the government.”
Benefits for Members
DRIVE offers a strategic platform for industry partners to:
- Engage directly with Air Force digital priorities
- Form cross-domain partnerships within a structured ecosystem
- Reduce B&P and administrative burden
- Accelerate time from concept to funded execution
- Integrate capabilities across the digital engineering value chain
For small businesses and non-traditional vendors, DRIVE lowers barriers to entry into Air Force modernization efforts. For established defense contractors, it enables collaboration with emerging innovators in a mission-aligned environment.
In short, DRIVE aligns, collaborative innovation, and acquisition agility with the operational urgency of digital transformation.
Digital transformation is not constrained by technology—it is constrained by structure.
In summary, DRIVE was created to remove structural drag, align incentives, and channel the maximum possible resources toward mission execution. By combining cooperative agreement authority with a purpose-built innovation ecosystem, DRIVE offers a disciplined yet agile path for advancing Air Force and DoD digital priorities.
In a strategic environment defined by speed, integration, and data-driven advantage, DRIVE is not simply another vehicle. It is an enabling framework for delivering digital capability at scale.
For further details and information on how to join the DRIVE Consortium, contact Bob Dirgo, Senior Program Manager, at : https://driveconsortium.org/contact/
Bob Dirgo
Robert.dirgo@parallaxresearch.org
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About Parallax Advanced Research and the Ohio Aerospace Institute
Parallax Advanced Research is a research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. The Ohio Aerospace Institute plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects.