Marne Innovation Center is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory and CMI2
On May 18, 2023, the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) held its official grand opening for the Marne Innovation Center, a collaborative Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Design, Innovation, Research, and Technology (DIRT) Lab. The center helps Soldiers stay updated with the cutting-edge technology and identify their technological shortcomings.
The Army must adapt quickly to the innovative technology environment to ensure warfighters on the frontline succeed. The Army partners with academia and industry to create the realistic, usable technology needed to win the next fight.
“We have the equipment here to work everything from electronics, 3D printing all the way up through full metal fabrication,” said Lieutenant Chris Aliperti, Marne Director. “We have worked on tactical equipment to enable our unit to fight better on the battlefield, such as a tethered drone.”
The Army is also on a mission to care for the Soldiers on the home front. The 3ID developed the Mold Conditions Awareness Tool (MCAT), a specialized 3D-printed device using sensors to detect temperature and humidity levels within barracks rooms and identify early mold signs. Aliperti and Private Salem Ezz won the Dragon’s Lair 8 competition (held in Tampa, Florida, on March 29, 2023) with their MCAT innovation which was designed and developed at the Marne Innovation Center and is currently beta testing in barracks at Fort Stewart.
“The Marne Innovation Center is a great place for soldiers to explore their ideas and generate solutions for immediate impact within their units,” said Randy Emert, CMI2 Marne Innovation Center Makerspace Manager. “Soldiers generated ideas and solutions like tooling for Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) Hub Cap replacement, cases for Joint Battle Command Platform (JBCP) hard drives, and Boresight End Caps for Abrams tanks to make their jobs easier, more efficient, and more lethal.”
Innovation in Action
Read more about the impact of the Marne Innovation Center at Fort Stewart:
- 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers win Dragon’s Lair 8
- The Army’s got a mold problem, these soldiers have an answer
- Did Army soldiers invent a device to prevent mold in barracks?
- Innovation Champion: 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers Named Winners of Dragon’s Lair 8
- Fort Stewart soldiers create device to address mold conditions
- New Marne Innovation Center opened on Fort Stewart
- 3rd Infantry Division Debuts Innovation Center
