DEFTECH developments: DEFTECH triples operational strength to support defense industry

By Staff Report, posted Aug 1, 2024 on BizFayetteville.com

The new DEFTECH team includes DEFTECH Director Bob Burton, Program Manager Thomas “J” Gilroy, Program Support Specialist Jaycie Beam and part-time
Program Manager Todd Ferry.

The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) has significantly reinforced its Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH) to help North Carolina businesses and academic entities leverage Department of Defense (DoD) current, emerging and urgent requirements for advanced technologies.

DEFTECH has connected industry- and academia-based research and development capacity with DoD and other federal R&D requirements since 2016. However, this month the NCMBC nearly tripled DEFTECH’s operational strength, equipping it to leverage an anticipated explosion in DoD demand for dual use (military and commercial) technologies to support America’s warfighters.

The DEFTECH team includes:

Bob Burton. Formerly DEFTECH Senior Manager since 2020 and Interim Director, Burton became the DEFTECH Director in May 2024. Burton is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major with over 30 years of executive leadership and operational experience in special operations worldwide. Burton works from the First Flight Venture Center in RTP.
Thomas “TJ” Gilroy. A former Marine attack helicopter pilot and published author, Gilroy has over 20 years of experience in developing, patenting, marketing and selling tactical equipment to DoD. Gilroy transitioned from NCMBC business development to DEFTECH as Program Manager in July 2024, working from the Sandhills region near Pinehurst.
Jaycie Beam. With an MBA degree in Innovation and Change Management and experience in the Community Colleges’ Small Business Center Network, Beam joined the DEFTECH team as Program Support Specialist in July 2024. She anticipates working from Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in Hudson.
Todd Ferry. A 30-year, retired Marine helicopter pilot and base commander, Ferry brings extensive Marine Corps experience to DEFTECH as a part-time Program Manager. Ferry is based near Havelock in eastern North Carolina.

NCMBC Executive Director Scott Dorney explained the reasons for significantly augmenting DEFTECH. This DEFTECH expansion will:

Position the state to leverage imminent expansion in DoD efforts to acquire and rapidly field advanced technologies. In the FY2024 DoD budget, the Defense Innovation Unit – now a direct reporting office to the Secretary of Defense – received a nearly $800 million increase in its annual budget (from $191 to $983 million) to rapidly expand technology transition from commercial sources. This growth will almost certainly continue in FY2025
Enable the NCMBC to identify, recruit, engage and connect the R&D and innovation capacity in our universities and industry with DIU, other DoD rapid capabilities entities and their current and emerging technology requirements – and help them win
Establish groundwork for operationalizing the proposed, NC Commerce-led Defense Innovation Network, designed to significantly increase NC engagement in DoD-related research and development in North Carolina

North Carolina has the capacity and - with an expanded DEFTECH – some of the tools in place to leverage urgent DoD needs for advanced technologies to grow the innovation ecosystem, help businesses grow jobs, expand the defense economy and improve quality of life in the state.

For more information about DEFTECH, visit www.Deftech.nc.gov. For the NCMBC, visit www.ncmbc.us.

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