SERC and AIRC Discuss Policy Test Labs, Weapon Readiness and More at 23rd NPS Symposium

Experts from across the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) and its Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC) presented at the 23^rd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium & Innovation Summit on May 6-7. This premier annual event, held virtually this year to maximize participation, is hosted by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS, a SERC collaborating university) and gathers acquisition professionals from across disciplines including academic researchers, government policy makers, and industry practitioners for presentations and panel discussions.

Theme

This year’s symposium took up the theme of “Accelerating Warfighting Capabilities.” Panels and papers explored and promoted innovative ways to enhance readiness, deter adversaries, and increase warfighting capabilities by reviving the defense industrial base, reforming the acquisition process, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. Topics considered included engineering resilience, leveraging acquisition for strategic advantage, scaling modernization, and accelerating capacity and capability.

Panels and Contributors

The keynote speakers were Mr. Jason L. Potter, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), on Day 1 and the Honorable Michael P. Duffey, Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, on Day 2. The introductions, plenaries and panels on both days of the event highlighted acquisition innovation to deliver trusted, cutting-edge capabilities to the warfighter at the speed of need.

SERC and AIRC researchers contributed toward several topical panels.

The panel “Beyond the Linear Barrier: Data-driven Strategies for Accelerated Acquisition” explored how to leverage data to enable leaders in the acquisition enterprise to make risk-informed decisions. AIRC Chief Scientist Phil Antón (Stevens Institute of Technology) presented “Recent Improvements in Acquisition Speed to Initial Operational Capability” and discussed how a richer, non-traditional approach to looking at acquisition data can lead to innovation and transformation.

“The NPS Acquisition Research Symposium is a valuable forum for sharing and discussing research results, insights, and challenges to improve acquisition effectiveness, speed, and mission effectiveness for our warfighters and operators. It’s one of the few places where research on acquisition practices, processes, and policies is discussed and archived to help inform leadership, the workforce, and other stakeholders while building relationships important to making the business of acquisition better.”

– Dr. Antón

The panel “Beyond the Valley of Death: Venture Studios and Strategic Small Business Growth” explored strategies to improve what can be provided now to the various stakeholders and the acquisition workforce for immediate application to meet the of-the-moment needs of the warfighter. AIRC Deputy Chief Scientist Doug Buettner presented “The Policy Test Lab: An Agentic AI-based Simulation Tool” (featured in the inaugural AIRC Insights discussion series that launched April 7), which aims to create an environment where informed policy language can be developed and moved forward within weeks and months, as opposed to years, to accelerate acquisition transformation.
The panel “High-Ground Innovation: Synchronizing Agile Development and Private Investment in Space” explored how the lessons learned in improving acquisition, i.e., eliminating obstacles to and delays in getting the right capabilities to the warfighter, could be applied across the enterprise and sectors. SERC Research Council member Michael Orosz (University of Southern California and USC’s Information Sciences Institute) presented “Accelerating DoW Space-based Acquisition through the Implementation of Agile, DevSecOps and Digital Engineering Processes” (featured in a January 2026 SERC Research Highlight) and discussed how adopting relevant industry best practices can help improve national defense competitiveness.

“Our research aligns directly with the DoW’s focus on accelerating systems development. We are exploring how best to implement agile, DevSecOps and other modern systems development approaches to speed the acquisition of DoW systems.”
– Dr. Orosz

The panel “Future-Proofing the Lifecycle: Silo-Busting through Integrated Digital Maturity” highlighted the interconnections and interdependencies throughout the acquisition enterprise and that related improvement requires warfighter feedback and continual enterprise-wide refinement. SERC researcher Darryl Draper-Amason (Old Dominion University) presented “Strengthening Acquisition and Mission Readiness: Applying the Integrated Digital Maturity Pathway User-story Framework to Implement the Acquisition Transformation Strategy.”

“Speed in acquisition is no longer simply about moving faster. It is about enabling faster, evidence-based decisions in increasingly complex mission environments. Research such as the Integrated Digital Maturity Pathway supports this priority by translating stakeholder needs, operational context, and readiness data into structured decision-support insights that combine AI-enabled analysis with human judgment and oversight.”
– Dr. Draper-Amason

The panel “Sustaining Superiority: Reinvigorating Readiness and Global Maritime Power” addressed readiness rates for the military’s weapons systems, especially naval systems, and how readiness could be improved. AIRC Fellow Moshe Schwartz contributed “Neglect With the Old, In With the New: How Neglect of Existing Weapon Systems Is Causing a Readiness Issue Within the Department of War, And How Acquisition Approaches Can be Improved to Solve It” to the discussion. Schwartz will continue the topic as moderator of the next AIRC Insights session on May 26.

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