The U.S. Department of Defense has opened its next innovation center in Chicago as it looks to connect with more companies throughout the Midwest.
The DoD's Defense Innovation Unit, an organization that partners with tech firms to use their products for national defense, officially opened its Chicago outpost this week. It's the DoD's fifth such DIU office and its first in the Midwest. It also operates out of Mountain View, Boston, Austin and Washington, D.C.
Located at the Discovery Partners Institute in the Loop, the office will serve as a way for the DoD to partner with entrepreneurs in Chicago and the broader Midwest, awarding contracts to startups working in areas like artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, energy and space, the department said.
Ryan Whelan, the Midwest lead for the DIU, said the group chose Chicago for its strong tech ecosystem and its accessible, central location.
"Chicago was the no-brainier place for the next office," Whelan said. "There's a ton of investment activity in Chicago, a ton of really strong innovative tech activity, and a lot of really strong talent that we were just not engaging with," he said. "When we came here and started having conversations with companies in Chicago, we realized they really don't even view the DoD as a very viable market for their commercial technologies."
Whelan said the DoD evaluated several Midwest cities before ultimately deciding on Chicago.
Since 2016, the DIU has given awards to more than 263 companies across 30 states. The Chicago office will give it a stronger foothold in the Midwest, Whelan said, and it plans to collaborate with other Chicago tech organizations like manufacturing hub MxD.
The goal, Whelan said, is to better connect with local tech firms and make them aware that the DoD can be a viable customer and provide a new revenue stream for their business.
"We're viewed as trigger pullers and guys that blow stuff up," he said. "We’re not viewed as a beacon for tech talent. We're not viewed as a place you can advance your career or grow your venture."
