Utah selected as a Defense Manufacturing Community

It was announced by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) that on August 17, 2020, the state of Utah was selected as one of six Defense Manufacturing Communities in the nation as part of the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP) managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

GOED leads the Utah Defense Manufacturing Community (UDMC) with the Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI) as the initiative’s sub-lead. The UDMC consortium includes partners, supporters and national advisors. It is said the Utah Industry Resource Alliance (UIRA), will be a lead partner organization for the UDMC. Community supporters include more than 70 organizations and will implement the programs developed by the UDMC. Advisors will provide a national perspective, including America Makes (Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.); American Manufacturing Community Collaborative (AMCC; Washington, D.C., U.S.); Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI; Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.); Idaho National Labs (Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.); Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE; Diamond Bar, Calif., U.S.); and American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACMA; Arlington, Virg., U.S.).

It is said that Utah’s application touted the state’s robust aerospace, defense and composite manufacturing industries and outlined a plan to implement an integrated strategy to support the regional defense innovation ecosystem, focusing on carbon composites and advanced materials. The Utah defense manufacturing community reportedly plays a critical role in the defense industry ecosystem, and has been a leader in innovation, both in alignment with national security and supply chain support for more than 80 years. The DMCSP will enable integration and expansion of successful programs and introduce new offerings to prepare for the future of defense manufacturing by creating a single integrated program incorporating a four-pillar approach including 1) workforce, 2) supply chain, 3) research and 4) small business and incubators.

“This is big news for Utah’s growing aerospace, defense and manufacturing industry, and we are honored to be selected for this program,” says Val Hale, GOED’s executive director. “We look forward to the opportunities and the economic impact this will bring to our state.”

The DMCSP is designed to support long-term community investments that strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the defense industrial ecosystem. The program is authorized under Section 846 of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and was developed in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Forty proposals for the fiscal year 2020 were screened, evaluated, scored, and ranked for presentation to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment for decision and designation as a “Defense Manufacturing Community.” As one of the six selected designations, the state has been invited to submit a complete application for grant funding with the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) by Aug. 26, 2020.

More information about the program is available here.