Innovation

DISA Awards 23 Small Businesses Spots on $7.5B IT Innovation Contract

The restricted pool awards come a year after large business awards, which were subsequently protested.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Critical Update: Containing Chernobyl

We’re joined by an engineer who helped build the final containment structure at Chernobyl, in a race against time, bureaucracy and the aftermath of the Soviet Union.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Stop Blaming Innovation Barriers on Acquisitions

It's an easy scapegoat.

  • By Meagan Metzger

Critical Update: How Labor Works to Hook Its Employees

Work doesn’t have to feel like work. 

  • By Brandi Vincent

DHS Small Business Innovation Research Awards 1,000th Contract

The Homeland Security Department program celebrated a small business contracting milestone this week.

  • By Frank Konkel

A Look Inside the Government’s Latest Quantum Computing Efforts

Experts say fortifying strong international collaboration is critical to advancing the emerging technology.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Government Seeks Input on Reboot of Nation's Strategic Computing Objectives

When technology progresses quickly, the strategies behind it may need to as well.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Critical Update: Peering Into the Agriculture Department’s Digital Transformation

One of the Agriculture Department’s top officials talks about how the agency is using technology to serve its customers better.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Hackathon Participants Use Agriculture Data to Create Real-World Solutions

Can hackers help make farmers’ lives easier? Maybe.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Agencies Leaning on Citizens to Drive Innovation, Research

The government is increasingly investing in prize competitions, crowdsourcing and other “citizen science” efforts to advance its research, according to the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Critical Update: Inside DARPA's DARPA

Valerie Browning, director of DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office, discusses self-aware machines, the future of quantum computing and preventing technology surprises.

  • By Jack Corrigan

FAA Is Ready to Put $6M into Certain Drone Innovations

The agency announced a call for white papers to kick off its new five-year, open submission contract.

  • By Aaron Boyd

The Coalition Out to Kill Tech as We Know It

With enemies like these, the industry is going to need some friends.

  • By Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic

Critical Update: Get Stuff Done

Except he didn’t say “stuff.” Defense Digital Service co-founders join the podcast to talk security clearances, big cloud procurements and plenty of Star Wars.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Critical Update: At Your Digital Service, Part 2

We talk with U.S. Digital Service project managers for a ground-level view of what it really takes to make innovation happen in government.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Critical Update: Innovation Happens Naturally—With a Lot of Work

U.S. Digital Service Administrator Matt Cutts joins the podcast to talk about the current state—and future of—one of the most wide-reaching innovation programs in government.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Strong Narratives Can Drive Digital Transformation

Sometimes all it takes is a good story.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Critical Update: Enter The Innovators

Season 3 of Critical Update kicks off with a mythbusting session on what it means to be innovative in government.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Why Uber and Lyft Drivers Are Striking

Uber and Lyft drivers plan to protest and picket this week. From companies, they want better wages and working conditions. From cities, they want regulations.

  • By Sarah Holder, CityLab

Energy to Debut World’s Fastest Exascale Supercomputer by 2021

Valued at more than $600 million, the next-generation technology will drastically reduce the time it takes to make new discoveries.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Innovation From Within: How One Employee-Built Tool is Revolutionizing VA  

An open source tool called LEAF is saving the Veterans Affairs Department time, resources and perhaps millions in taxpayer dollars.

  • By Frank Konkel