In an Innovation Foundry, S&T Futures brings together U.S. and international Special Operations Forces (SOF), industry, academia, government, and futurists in an exploration, design-thinking, facilitated event to assist USSOCOM in decomposing future scenarios and missions. The goal of the event is to develop concepts and approaches for the framework, technologies, infrastructure, and capabilities required to effectively conduct SOF operations in a fictional mission scenario.

To develop the scenarios, S&T Futures works with S&T Capability Focus Areas, international S&T liaisons, and broader USSOCOM staff over the course of months. These stakeholders influence the design of the resulting information products through attendee makeup and scenario development. First, they help shape the participant pool to best examine the opportunities and challenges related to the Innovation Foundry topic, reflecting the complex interplays of social, technological, political, and cultural factors as they might play out in a timeframe 15-20 years in the future. Second, they help craft the scenario that will inform participants of the future operating environment in which the concepts and approaches will exist.

Leading minds in industry, academia, national labs, non-profits, and government, as well as subject matter experts in SOF Operations, are welcome to apply to participate in the event. In addition to the knowledge products that Innovation Foundries produce, USSOCOM has used Innovation Foundries to build key relationships with entrepreneurs, technology developers, and research organizations.

An S&T Future Innovation Cycle comprises of three stages: 1) the Innovation Foundry, 2) the Rapid Capability Assessment, and 3) the tech sprint and tech sprint demonstration or Rapid Prototyping Event. S&T Futures conducts two to three Innovation Cycles per year. Each Innovation Cycle focuses on a single topic in SOF Operations and seeks to ideate on what that topic may look like in 15-20 years. The Cycle involves conceptualizing the types of technology necessary to solve futuristic problems, strategizing an approach to design and develop these technologies, building prototypes, and then exemplifying how these technologies may contribute to mission accomplishment.