The Department of Defense’s industrial base policy office has partnered with the Austin Center for Manufacturing and Innovation in Texas to introduce a two-year pilot program that will focus on the production of inert chemicals for military and commercial applications.
The pilot program launched through the Defense Production Act Title III Program will advance the use of private capital to scale emerging technology platforms to meet future national security requirements, DOD said Monday.
“Our support enables the United States to more effectively harness innovation in manufacturing, enhance supply chain resiliency, and develop a more robust industrial base that is well prepared to meet the needs of American strategic interests while developing a future workforce for advanced chemical manufacturing,” said William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.
“This pilot program is a first step in finding new and creative platforms to innovate within the American manufacturing sector,” added LaPlante.
The DPA Title III Program will provide funding and use the pilot program’s results to assess future opportunities to further expand the approach to other sectors including clean energy and microelectronics and other geographic locations.
