Booz Allen opens flagship center for innovation in Washington, DC
Booz Allen, a management and technology consultancy focusing on the public sector, has opened The Helix Center for Innovation – a collaborative space that showcases cutting-edge technologies in defense, national security, and climate resilience.
The consulting firm yesterday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new innovation center, which is located at Booz Allen’s 901 15th Street facility in Washington, DC.
The 9,422-square-foot space is home to more than 30 simulations, product and capability demonstrations, hands-on activations, and immersive environments.
“The Helix is purposefully designed to explore the art of the possible while demystifying how emerging technologies can be applied to the U.S. government’s current and future challenges,” said Melissa Lazarofsky, director of The Helix. “Through The Helix, we’re hoping to pull back the curtain for our clients, and make technology more accessible, explainable, and reachable.”
The center includes attractions such as an AI Adoption Studio that uses gamified interaction to show how AI can “accelerate missions”; a Storytelling Rotunda with a 220-degree, floor-to-ceiling screen that immerses views in use cases across digital twins, VR, and 5G; and rotating demonstrations, including a simulated special mission featuring a robotic quadruped in an interactive search-and-locate exercise.
“The world is being transformed by the rise of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cyber, 5G, quantum, edge computing, and so many more,” said Susan Penfield, chief technology officer. “The Helix is the physical manifestation of our company’s VoLT (velocity, leadership, technology) growth strategy – leveraging emerging technology to speed solutioning against our clients’ most challenging mission needs.”
Booz Allen’s other tech innovation milestones this year include launching HELworks, a company specializing in high-energy laser weapons systems, and Booz Allen Ventures, a $100-million venture capital arm focusing on investment in commercial technologies for federal clients.