The Defense Innovation Board is an advisory board set up in August 2016 to provide "independent recommendations to the [United States] Secretary of Defense and other senior DoD leaders on emerging technologies and innovative approaches that DoD should adopt to ensure U.S. technological and military dominance."[1] The board's members include experts from private companies, research institutions, and academia.[2] It is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The board's goals have been variously described as bringing the technological innovation and best practices of Silicon Valley, including in technology, workforce, and organizational structure, to the Department of Defense.[3] [4] The Board has three subcommittees: Science & Technology; Workforce, Behavior, and Culture; and Space Advisory Committee. Its areas of interest include AI, software, data, digital modernization, and human capital.
Meetings are set by the Board’s Designated Federal Officer in consultation with the Chair and DoD Chief Management Officer (DoD CMO). Meetings are usually open to the public.
In 2016, the board's members traveled throughout the world seeking innovative ideas from troops to improve processes in all theaters of operation.
Joshua Marcuse served as the board's first executive director until March 2020. The board's first chairman, Eric Schmidt, served until September 2020.