Introduction: Creating a global, virtual marketplace of ideas that enables obscure sources, outside the U.S. Army, to brainstorm new ideas via a credible, fair, and transparent process that uncovers emerging and disruptive technologies is what the TRADOC G-2 Mad Scientist community of interest is all about.
Challenges: Planning conferences and discussions can be challenging when speakers and participants are located globally. Having a solution where speakers can upload briefs, papers and images in one location, for various conference is necessary based on topics of interest.
Solutions: APAN provides the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine initiative a platform with easy-to-use blog updates, media galleries for speaker files and briefs, event calendars, agendas, surveys, user forums and announcements in a public, unclassified location.
Results: The Mad Scientist program has successfully hosted three major events using APAN which assists in building partnerships with universities and the technology industry this support efforts in identifying future trends, recommendations, and analysis for the U.S. Army and this advances understanding in rapid, future innovation.
