By Mike Seper The Midwest is refining the innovation process by bringing together academia and defense partners to solve national security challenges. Experiential learning opportunities are available to outstanding schools across the region with an educational infrastructure that supports engineering, innovation, and entrepreneurship students through intriguing interactions with national labs and defense technologies. Stimulating student excitement for dual-use innovations is more accessible when direct interactions with cutting-edge inventions and brilliant inventors create futuristic technologies to protect the United States. 1. Retaining Talent in the Midwest to Develop National Security Solutions Over fifty students from Midwestern universities participated in the NSIN X Force Fellowships for placements in labs, such as the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC) in Crane, Indiana. Faculty also participate from numerous schools to consult with Department of Defense customers to develop new collaborations with academic institutions benefiting from funding to advance research. Washington University, for example, …