The Refinery is an “Innovation Accelerator”, which provides Airmen and Guardian innovators with entrepreneurial knowledge, connections to relevant stakeholders and resources within the Department of War ecosystem.
Innovators and project teams are competitively selected to participate in a 6-week cohort to focus on development and refinement of their grassroots project prototypes. The Refinery exists to build world-class innovators and accelerate their tactical prototypes to ensure the right operational capabilities are adopted into the larger force. This is made possible through the Refinery’s curated “lean startup” informed curriculum, strategic partnerships, and expertise of the ecosystem’s policy, acquisitions, and life-cycle sustainment.