The FDA Innovation Lab is located across from the Ask It Now kiosk on the third floor of Building 2 at the FDA, White Oak Campus. It is an open space, with easily reconfigurable furniture that is designed to provide additional space for more team based activities. The lab’s white board “ideation” walls allow for people to brainstorm and encourage them to learn from one another.

The primary users of the lab are the innovative thinkers, analysts and developers from the Innovation team who work hard to push the boundaries of technology and science to advance the FDA’s mission and spur internal innovation.

As you walk into the lab, you can see the various exciting and collaborative prototypes the lab is currently working on or has worked on in the past. These prototypes come from ideas generated across the different centers of the FDA.  The latest trends in technology like aerial drones, 3D printers, telepresence robots, and many more are being utilized to help solve use cases within the FDA.

The FDA Innovation Lab is also used as a space to host other events that provide a rich learning opportunity for everyone in the FDA to discover new sources of innovation and learn critical skills.

Some of the events hosted in the lab are:

• “TechTalkx” styled after “Ted Talks” to bring in experts from the industry to talk about emerging trends within their domain of expertise.

• Workshops – For people within the FDA to learn skills hands on.

• Ask the experts – where people within the FDA talk about their area of expertise.

• Brain Storming Sessions

• Prototype Showcases – A display of all the prototypes the lab has worked on and how it has helped the various offices within the FDA.

• Bring your child to work day – A fun day filled with various activities for kids of all ages!

There has never been a better time to be a part of innovation at FDA. The FDA Innovation Lab is open Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, for anyone to walk in and start a conversation.