Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee on April 6, 2022. It was the first Congressional testimony Shyu provided since being confirmed in her current position in July, 2021.
“My responsibility is to ensure an enduring technological advantage for the United States military,” said Shyu in her opening statement.
“First, every strong structure must stand on a solid foundation,” she said. “So, we will focus on building a strong foundation for science. We must make a commitment to science and technology, especially in basic research. We also have to attract and retain the best and brightest people while supplying them with world-class research and development infrastructure. And the Department will rapidly prototype and perform joint experimentation and collaborate across the technology ecosystem.”
Shyu went on to discuss ways the Department is expanding relationships with academic instiutions, international allies and partners, and improving public-private sector partnerships.
“Second, DoD’s processes should be updated to reflect the dynamic landscape of today and anticipate the needs of tomorrow. The private sector is our competitive advantage, and we have to improve collaboration between government and the private sector so we can rapidly transition technologies to fieldable capabilities,” she said.
About USD(R&E)
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre.