The Offices of US Senator Thom Tillis and US Senator Ted Budd, the North Carolina Military Business Center and the North Carolina Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH) will host the Defense Industrial Supply Chain (DISC) Summit at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte, NC October 29-30.  The purpose of the DISC summit is to sustain and expand the supply chain within the defense aerospace, ground vehicle, maritime and armaments markets.

In 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) published the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS).  The NDIS emphasizes “A robust and resilient industrial base provides the enduring foundation for military advantage.  While America continues to generate the world’s most capable weapons systems, it must have the capacity to produce those capabilities at speed and scale to maximize our advantage.”  Since the end of World War II and the Cold War with the former Soviet Union America’s overall production capacity across many industries has diminished.  Much of our commercial manufacturing and their related supply chains have moved overseas.  Recent events, including COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict have exposed very significant deficiencies in domestic manufacturing and supply chains.  To resolve these issues the NDIS “provides a path that builds on recent progress while remedying remaining gaps and potential shortfalls. This NDIS recognizes that America’s economic security and national security are mutually reinforcing and, ultimately, the nation’s military strength depends in part on our overall economic strength.”

The DISC Summit goals are cohesively aligned to the NDIS. They include engaging current original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), prime contractors and service providers and attracting new businesses to leverage opportunities across the aerospace, ground vehicle, maritime and armament market silos; engaging current and prospective service providers and suppliers to leverage subcontracting opportunities with prime contractors across these market; informing the industrial/academia R&D ecosystem about future defense technology imperatives, and agencies about emerging and future technologies in these sectors; establishing a productive and direct dialogue around critical issues in the defense industrial market – including supply chain, workforce, inflation and barriers to entry.

The DISC Summit is a great opportunity for OEMs, prime contractors, suppliers and service providers engaged in or considering engaging in the defense aerospace, land, maritime and armament systems markets. It is also an excellent forum for Industry and academia conducting R&D and new product development in these domains.  Of equal importance, Federal and Defense agencies within these sectors will leverage this event to advance their requirements development, acquisition, sustainment and R&D mission imperatives.

DISC highlights include:

• GM Defense Manufacturing and Customer Innovation Center (MCIC) Tour
• Hendrick Motorsports networking social and limited tours
• Multiple excellent keynote and panel sessions
• Outstanding breakout sessions covering
  • Government agencies’ requirements and processes
  • Opportunities with OEMs, prime contractors and major suppliers
  • Workforce issues and challenges
  • Technology and Innovation including shark tank type presentations
  • Resources and support entities
  • Cybersecurity compliance
• Numerous networking opportunities

For DISC details including the agenda and registration please visit https://industrial.ncmbc.us/.  We look forward to seeing you at the Defense Industrial Supply Chain Summit October 29-30 in Charlotte, NC.

About the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and the North Carolina Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH)

The NCMBC is a statewide business development and technology transition entity of the State of North Carolina, embedded in community colleges and headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The mission of the NCMBC is to leverage military and other federal business opportunities to expand the economy, grow jobs and improve quality of life in North Carolina.  DEFTECH serves as the North Carolina hub to facilitate communications and collaborations between the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the region's innovation ecosystem.  For more information and assistance with federal contracting please visit https://www.ncmbc.us/.