Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Futures Command, said during South by Southwest event that startups may have to work with larger firms to deploy technologies to the military, Nextgov reported Saturday.
Wesley noted that the Army needs support from traditional contractors because startups are often hindered by the government’s burdensome acquisition procedures.
He added that the most realistic option is for larger contractors to purchase a startup’s offering that the Army is seeking for military purposes. Smaller companies wanting to retain control over their technologies may choose to conduct prototype development efforts with the Futures Command and partner with a large company for enterprise deployment and scaling.
The Army also wants to explore more options for startups to drive technological development and deployment by themselves.
“We want to be part of this ecosystem, and so we are embedding ourselves into it,†Wesley said.