Military Innovation Operational Forums

The Military Innovation Operational Forum (MIO-Forum) will conduct semi-annual “Think Tank” sessions where military medical professionals will announce operational requirements to the public and semi-annual “Pitch Tank” sessions for selected businesses to present projects and technologies in response to MIO-Forum announced requirements. The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC), Fort Bragg Research Institute (FBRI), The Geneva Foundation, Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) and the North Carolina Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH) will host MIO-Forum “Think Tank” and “Pitch Tank” sessions across the state.

MILITARY INNOVATION OPERATIONAL (MIO) FORUM: “Think Tank”

Event Photos.

When. December 5, 2019 from 0900-1130

Where. Fayetteville Technical Community College, Cumberland Hall Auditorium (Building 3A on the campus map), 2201 Hull Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303

Campus Map. Click here. Parking is available in parking lots: 1 and 14. Please do not park in designated staff parking spaces.

About. Join military medical professionals from Fort Bragg as they announce operational medical requirements to the public. The two areas of interest for this Think Tank are the following:

Detecting need for life-saving interventions (LSI). Like their civilian counterparts, military healthcare providers have a requirement to rapidly identify those patients who will need LSI. Even in the most technologically advanced medical units, patients can deteriorate with little warning. The ability to rapidly identify casualties with the greatest need would enhance triage and evacuation priorities. Current means of predicting decompensation include monitoring of the Compensatory Reserve Index (CRI, uses artificial intelligence to assess changes in arterial waveforms secondary to alterations in volume hemostasis). CRI fared better than systolic blood pressure (BP), mean arterial BP, and shock index (heart rate/systolic BP) at predicting need for LSI. Additionally, serum lactate levels may predict shock. The MIO-Forum is seeking cutting-edge technology to better predict decompensation and the need for LSI.
Human performance optimization. Prevention of injuries, maximizing physical performance, and improving psychological resiliency are key components of human performance optimization. In addition to biomarkers or other data that may predict injury, the military has a need to develop methods to determine which Soldiers are at risk for performance failure. Examples include biomarkers to determine risk for muscle fatigue or failure, metrics for psychological resiliency, detection of pre-clinical infections, and over or undertraining. For any tool, the need for deployability and rapid turnaround of results is imperative.

Speakers will include:

COL Ken Nelson, Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, Womack Army Medical Center
COL Ty Harris, Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon and Vice-Chair, Army Medical Central Simulation Committee, Womack Army Medical Center
LTC (Ret) Steve DeLellis, Director, Fort Bragg Research Institute
LTC George Barbee, Joint Special Operations Command
Y. Sammy Choi, MD, Chief, Department of Research, Womack Army Medical Center
Special Operations Forces medics

Other representatives from the military medical community will be in attendance, but not in an official speaking capacity.

Registration. This is a free event. Online registration is closed. Walk-in registrations the day of the event are welcome and encouraged.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:

12 JUN 2019: MIO-Forum Launch and “Think Tank 2019” at the Medical, Biomedical and Biodefense: Support to the Warfighter Symposium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
05 DEC 2019: MIO-Forum “Think Tank 2019-1” at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
09 JAN 2020: Submission deadline for white paper responses to “Think Tank 2019-1” requirements (see below white paper submission requirements).
11 MAR 2020: “Pitch Tank 2019-1” at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Businesses selected from white paper submissions to present will receive logistical information in advance.

WHITE PAPER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS. Limit to two pages, single-spaced, size 12 font, with no video links, slides, or attachments. Include: title; presenter name and contact information; 150 word limit abstract; technology background and description; proposed military application; FDA or other clearances (if any); prior military collaborations (if any); and limit of five references. White papers should be submitted to mio-forum@ncmbc.us.