Community

The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is a nonprofit organization specializing in bridging the gaps in defense innovation by creating functional solutions to support end-users via collaboration and engagement.

CMI2 supports its mission by building on five key pillars:

Provide a bridge between academia and the National Security community

Work with the front-line Soldiers and warfighters

Provide a collection of niche design, experimentation and training facilities

Incubate companies and execute deal-flow of IP

Enable economic development in economically challenged areas.

While economic development and community engagement may first appear different from the other priorities and key pillars of national security innovation strength and focus, CMI2 recognizes that community stability is a necessary and critical foundation for national security. Specifically, the more robust and stable communities are, the more resilient they can be when faced with adversity, and so, too, is national security strengthened. The priority of enabling development in economically challenged areas ensures CMI2’s focus on national security innovation, which includes support for our rural communities.

CMI2 engages communities at the middle school/high school level and exposes students to real problems in national security to try and pique their interest at an early age. These opportunities cover STEM, business, communications, marketing, and policy subject areas focusing on multi-disciplinary problem-solving. This exposure also allows young people in economically challenged areas to see that they can contribute to solving large national/international challenges and shows that they can compete with any of their peers in the world.

Recognizing the impact of bottom-up innovation, or as we call it, “Innovation in the Dirt,” CMI2 successfully transforms real-world problems into technical solutions, comprehensive training, and full-scale programs benefitting its varied communities.

Leveraging our expertise in national security innovation, CMI2 uses hard-earned lessons and methodologies to apply cutting-edge Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, state-of-the-art first responder training, and proven private sector and defense strategies to enhance the workforce and support economic development in economically challenged areas.