Morgantown, WV – OCTOBER 8, 2025 — The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) today announced a strategic partnership to strengthen collaboration between defense, industry, and academia in advancing autonomous systems, experimentation, and training at CMI2’s Adaptive Experimentation Facility at Fort Andrew in rural West Virginia.
This partnership combines the unique engineering, experimentation and training expertise of CMI2 with AUVSI’s research-driven insights, advocacy, and global membership. Together, the organizations will accelerate the development of innovative capabilities, foster cross-sector collaboration, and deliver fieldable capabilities to enhance US military lethality and readiness.
“Our partnership with AUVSI aligns the CMI2 mission to accelerate innovation that directly improves the lethality and readiness of our warfighters,” said Zenovy Wowczuk, founder of CMI2. “By integrating live, force-on-force experimentation at Fort Andrew to AUVSI’s members, we can speed up technology adoption and give our forces a stronger operational edge.”
Strategic Benefits for Defense Readiness
Through this collaboration CMI2 and AUVSI will develop:
- Innovation-Driven Experimentation: The CMI2 Fort Andrew facility will provide defense and industry partners with advanced testing, training, and experimentation opportunities, informed by emerging trends in autonomy and robotics.
- Collaborative Events: CMI2 and AUVSI will engage defense stakeholders through collaborative programming and speaker opportunities at AUVSI Defense, XPONENTIAL, and other strategic forums.
- Joint Publications and Standards: The organizations will co-develop white papers, technical standards, and presentations to inform decision-making and accelerate the adoption of critical autonomous capabilities.
- Exclusive Member Benefits: AUVSI members are now eligible for up to a twenty percent (20%) reduction on standard commercial rates for testing, training, experimentation, and related activities at Fort Andrew Facility.
“Our members are committed to delivering innovation that strengthens national defense,” said Michael Robbins, President & CEO at AUVSI. “By partnering with CMI2 and leveraging the unique capabilities, we’re helping to ensure that emerging technologies are tested, refined, and fielded faster. This collaboration provides real value to our members and tangible benefits to the warfighter; exactly the kind of impact we strive to deliver.”
The partnership is now active, making Fort Andrew available to defense and industry partners, including those who qualify for the AUVSI member discount. Organizations can begin arranging activities such as testing, training, and experimentation immediately, with access to the facility’s advanced infrastructure.
For additional details or to schedule time at the facility, interested organizations can contact CMI2 or AUVSI to discuss specific requirements and explore how this collaboration may support their technology development efforts.
ABOUT Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) – The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is a nonprofit defense innovation organization dedicated to accelerating military modernization. CMI2 addresses critical gaps in the defense innovation ecosystem by rapidly developing, transitioning, and deploying solutions that increase lethality, and strengthen mission readiness.
ABOUT Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) – The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of uncrewed systems and robotics. Serving more than 7,500 members from government, industry, and academia, AUVSI is committed to advancing safe, secure, and trusted operations across air, ground, maritime, and space domains.
