WASHINGTON -- Under Secretary Heidi Shyu led a delegation from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSDR&E) to attend the Pacific Operational Science & Technology Conference (POST). Under Secretary Shyu delivered a keynote address in which she emphasized the importance of the Indo-Pacific region. With more than three million American jobs, this region is the source of nearly $900 billion in foreign direct investment in the United States. In the years ahead, the Indo-Pacific region will drive two-thirds of global economic growth.

“We want to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific that is more connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient, since the prosperity of Americans is linked to the Indo-Pacific,” Shyu said. “We will leverage the power of partnership to accelerate technology development by working with allied and partner nations.”

In recent years, the advancement of science and technology has altered the Indo-Pacific region’s competitive landscape and security environment. The U.S. military goal is to innovate with determination to develop, experiment, and apply new technologies and capabilities to maintain peace and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

To maintain the military’s competitive edge, OUSD(R&E) is working with private industry, academic institutions, national labs, startup innovators, allies, and partners to implement a technology vision that emphasizes 14 Critical Technology Areas (CTAs). These 14 CTAs represent broad and different approaches that are required to advance required capabilities. Learn more about these CTAs here:
https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/usdre_strategic_vision_critical_tech_areas.pdf.

About POST

The Pacific Operational Science & Technology Conference (POST) is the premier international event and leading forum that brings together the Indo-Pacific region’s foremost experts in science, technology, and security to better understand and successfully address operational issues and recommend near-term solutions to such challenges. For more than two decades, senior U.S. Department of Defense leaders from the Services and Agencies, senior leaders from the international Science & Technology community, industry executives and engineers, university representatives, and scientists in order to collaborate on how to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region through science and technology.

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.