VelocityTX: The Intersection of Healthcare and Defense

San Antonio’s healthcare and bioscience industries are credited with an annual economic impact of $44B, and account for nearly one-fifth of all local jobs. Just as critical to the city’s economy, however, is the industry for which San Antonio has become synonymous. 

Long known as Military City, USA, San Antonio is home to the largest joint base in the US Department of Defense, with a robust medical ecosystem all its own. The city boasts a TriService military research presence (USAISR, 59MDW, NAMRU-SA), 10 military treatment facilities (MTFs), four critical care air transport teams, a burn flight team, and the DOD’s only Level 1 Trauma Center. 

Leveraging our region’s unique strengths in bioscience research, development, and commercialization, VelocityTX seeks to promote growth and investment in San Antonio’s leading industries by establishing a first-of-its-kind military medical research facility at the VelocityTX innovation campus. 

By co-locating military medical research organizations together with select representatives from academia, industry, and the startup community, this facility would promote military-civilian collaboration to accelerate the speed at which emerging technologies can be leveraged by the armed forces.  

Paving the way for this project, VelocityTX has established strategic partnerships across San Antonio’s life sciences community—public and private—to address the current and anticipated needs of our key military medical stakeholders. 

San Antonio Millitary Medical Innovation (SAMMI) initiative

Carried out in partnership with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Military Medical Innovation (SAMMI) initiative was launched with the paired goals of:

  • Accelerating the commercialization of products and services required by the military medical community

  • Fostering economic development and growth in the San Antonio Region.

Benefits of the Initiative

The Initiative seeks to build and support the military life science ecosystem in San Antonio by facilitating partnerships and innovations that help the military meet their medical mission requirements, and at the same time, create commercialization opportunities for the community. Since it’s inception, the Initiative has invested a quarter of a million dollars in local early-stage companies. In addition, the program has hosted symposiums, panel discussions and Military Medical Industry Days (MMID), which are the City’s premier networking and collaboration events for bringing together representatives from the private sector with military medical leaders from all branches of the armed services.

The SAMMI Initiative is a key component of the overall VelocityTX innovation model of connecting, supporting, and funding businesses working with our local military medical community.

Upcoming Military Medical Events

Past Military Medical Events

Introduction to AIM 2024: San Antonio Military Medical R&D (Part I)

Monday, March 18, 2024

This webinar will introduce you to two military medical research units stationed at Joint Base San Antonio: the Air Force 59th Medical Wing, and the US Army Institute for Surgical Research (USAISR). Representatives from both organizations discuss their organization’s research and development mission, organizational structure, and provide tips on how best to work with them. This information better prepares you for the one-on-one meetings and networking at AIM 2024.

Military Medical Industry Day IV
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 Below, please see the agenda and conference guide for the previous MMID event, Military Medical Industry Day IV, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Regulatory Strategy - Importance of FDA Interactions

Tuesday, 11 April 2023

To help facilitate the review and approval/clearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) medical research and development projects, congress enacted Public Law (PL) 115 – 92, which authorized FDA to approve additional emergency uses for medical products to reduce deaths and severity of injuries caused by agents of war, and for other purposes. PL 115-92 facilitates enhanced collaborations and communications between the DoD and the FDA on DoD’s medical product priorities (MPPs) for military emergencies. The panel will provide briefings on these programs and engage with attendees during the interactive question and answer session as well as provide references and resources to attendees.

Presentation Slides

Watch Recording Here

Panelists:

Scott Walter, Ph.D. (US Air Force 59th Medical Wing (MDW)) scott.f.walter.civ@health.mil
Dr. Heather Agler – (Sr. Science Health Advisor, US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)) heather.agler@fda.hhs.gov
Rachel Hunnicutt – Acting Chief, FDA Regulatory Law Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (JAG), U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command (MRDC)   rachel.k.hunnicutt.civ@health.mil
Ms. Carmen Maher – (Sr. Director Medical Regulatory JPEO-CBRN and DTRA JSTO) carmen.t.maher.civ@army.mil
Ms. Lisa Borek – ORA Director/Senior Regulatory & Clinical Services Manager mary.l.borek2.civ@health.mil

Licensing Technologies from the Military

Tuesday, 14 March 2023

The assembled panel of medical patent and licensing experts will provide introductory information on the military’s management of intellectual property (IP) to create inventions disclosures, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other forms of protected materials that can be licensed to develop medical products and capabilities, referenced in project plans and proposals to solicit funding for research and development, and possibly improved upon for additional protected ideas and property.

Presentation Slides

Watch Recording Here

Panelists:

Mechanisms for Private Sector
Collaborations with Military Medical Teams

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

Participants in this mini-symposium will learn about technology transfer agreements and the role they play in advancing medical research & development, and facilitating product commercialization. The panel will cover the basics of agreements including Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) and explain in detail where/when/why to use them, how to initiate an agreement, and their advantages and limitations.

Presentation Slides

Moderator:

  • Dr. Scott Walter, Director of Technology Transition/Transfer for the USAF 59th Medical Wing, Science and Technology office in San Antonio, Texas. scott.f.walter.civ@health.mil

Panelists:

Military Medical Industry Day III
Tuesday, 19 April, 2022 Below, please see the agenda and exhibitor information for the previous MMID event, Military Medical Industry Day III, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Keys to Collaborating with the Military

Monday, 31 January 2022

 

Panel led by DHA J-9 (or TBD) with of representatives from three services and SOCOM, explain nuances of collaborating with each service, working with DHA, various end-users like SOCOM, Joint Planning Committees (JPCs), and how to find collaborators and start working together.

 

Moderator:

  • Dr. Scott Walter, Director of Technology Transition/Transfer for the USAF 59th Medical Wing, Science and Technology office in San Antonio, Texas.

Panelists:

  • Ms. Colleen Gibney Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Army SBIR/STTR Deputy Program Manager
  • Col. Erik Weitzel, Chief of Operational Medicine for the USAF 59th Medical Wing
  • Chris Wilson, Biotechnology and Human Interface Capability Lead, SOF AT&L Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
  • Mr. Jim Meadows, retired Army Medical Services Corps Officer with assignments ranging from Operational Medicine, Hospital Administration, Resource Management and Legislative Affairs
Military Medical Needs, Requirements, and Funding

Monday, 28 February 2022

 

Panel led by DHA or other medical DoD requirements POC, with representatives from all three services; explain how requirements can guide medical R&D, justify expenditures, and how feedback from medical breakthrough R&D can reshape/revise requirements.

 

Moderator:

  • Sylvain Cardin, PhD – Chief Science Director, Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU)

Panelists:

  • Mr. Daniel P. Dumas – Deputy Chief, Medical Modernization Division for Head Quarters Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
  • COL (Ret) Chris Chun – VP of Programs for Soldiers’ Angels. He served 30 years in the Army, spending his final five years at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, working in Capability Development and as the G3.
  • Mr. David Keeler – Advanced Technology Integrator, PfM Logistics Combat Element Systems, Marine Corps Systems Command
  • Dr. James Mancillas, Chief Integration and Operations Division, Medical Capability Development and Integration Directorate (MED CDID), Futures and Concepts Center (FCC)
  • LT COL (Ret) Randi Schaefer – CEO of Schaefer Consulting, Clinical Consultant, Visiting Professor, Director of Research, Emergency Nursing Chief, Emergency/Trauma Nurse
Tales from the Field

Monday, 28 March 2022

 

Panel led by SA-based business leader with experience of working with the military to develop medical products, with other panel members with unique experiences of working with the military, case studies of commercialization of a medical product based on military funding/requirements, or end-users; private sector CEO from a company that worked with the military.

 

Moderator:

  • Corey Levenson, PhD – Military Medical Innovation Director, San Antonio Economic Development Corporation (SAEDC)

Panelists:

  • Andrew Barofsky, JD MBA – Chief Executive Officer of RevMedx
  • Steven Venticinque, MD – Co-Founder of Oliphant Medical
  • Ross Donaldson, MD MPH – President & CEO of Critical Innovations
  • Rebecca McMahon, PhD MBA – President of Rochal Technologies

Military Medical Industry Day (MMID)

June 24-25, 2024 | Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

MMID focuses on facilitating collaboration and partnerships between the armed services and the private sector to support San Antonio’s military medical missions and grow our local economy. The event provides a unique and valuable opportunity to learn how products and services are developed, commercialized, and marketed to the military medical community.

The event brings together industry representatives, local military medical researchers, and representatives from academia, non-profit organizations, the government, and other medical technology and product development organizations. Partnerships between these organizations are paramount in ensuring that the most advanced technologies developed in San Antonio are delivered to our warfighters.

MMID features panel discussions and podium presentations and allows attendees to meet one-on-one with military medicine subject matter experts from all three branches to discuss medical topics related to military operations. Attendees can ask questions about proposal submissions and requirements, pitch ideas, obtain clarification on preferred research approaches and receive immediate feedback on feasibility.

There will be exhibitor opportunities for companies to showcase their dual-use (military and civilian) medical technologies. Sponsorships are also available. If you’re interested in participating as an exhibitor or learning more about the various levels and benefits of sponsorship, please contact us by email at derek@velocitytx.org

CRADA with the Military

VelocityTX and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) have a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) in place to allow the two organizations to work together on “Software Development for Decision Support Technologies”.

This collaboration is a pivotal, public-private pilot venture whereby the USAISR and VelocityTX are partnering for the development of critical technologies that address needs in battlefield medicine. VelocityTX is providing USAISR with workspace, embedded within their state-of-the-art Innovation Center in San Antonio, TX. This will enable government personnel to have ready access to private-sector companies with cutting edge technology, innovation, and commercialization expertise.

Combining government expertise and resources with complimentary contributions from VelocityTX will allow the USAISR to leverage its resources, potentiating acceleration of technology development of next-generation medical decision support systems.

VelocityTX will leverage the profound military life science research and commercialization assets in the San Antonio region to ultimately benefit the various military missions. VelocityTX intends to co-locate aspects of these military assets along with select San Antonio biomedical research, academic, and industry assets to create a responsive innovation ecosystem.

The VelocityTX Innovation Center is the nexus of expertise designed to facilitate access to local resources and to accelerate innovative technologies, especially those related to military missions. The ultimate desire is to create a hub of innovative activity that benefits the military and the network of partners.

Incubator Program

The Incubator Program is designed to scale early-stage bioscience companies by providing long-term support and includes office and meeting space, access to industry experts, mentors, and more.

CEO Roundtable

The CEO Roundtable is an exclusive membership program that brings together executives from non-competing bioscience and healthcare companies to foster innovation, collaboration, and connections.