DoD ManTech News

May 2, 2024

Call for Proposals - AIM Photonics Government Directed Project: BIO INSPECT

AIM Photonics would like to invite those who have interest to submit proposals to be included in the AIM Photonics Government Directed Project: BIOlogical, Integrated, Novel, Silicon Photonics for Efficient Characterization and Testing (BIO INSPECT). Available federal funding: Up to two awards are anticipated under this program (AIM Photonics GDP6) at approximately $1,150,000.00 per award. Additional federal funding may become available in future years; however, it is expected that any future work will build on the results of this effort.

May 9, 2024

Big Bend Technical College Partners with LIFT’s Operation Next Program to Provide Transitioning Soldiers, Military Spouses and Veterans Opportunities for Careers in Advanced Manufacturing

LIFT, the Detroit-based, Department of Defense national manufacturing innovation institute, and Big Bend Technical College (BBTC), have announced a partnership to provide free training to transitioning service members, National Guard, Army Reserves, and their families, along with veterans and other civilians for careers in advanced manufacturing through LIFT’s Operation Next initiative.

May 9, 2024

St. John’s River College to offer LIFT’s Operation Next Program, Bringing Advanced Manufacturing Job Training to the Region

Initiative to benefit exiting military, their spouses, and civilians.

May 20, 2024

BioMADE's 2024 Member Meeting Sessions Announced

Register now to attend BioMADE’s 2024 Member Meeting on May 29-31 in Minneapolis, MN. We are thrilled to be bringing everyone together in person and look forward to engaging with our members and the U.S. Government at this interactive, informative event! Read on for the full at-a-glance agenda.

May 20, 2024

Spring 2024 Santa Clara County FlexFactor® Finals Held at NextFlex

Last week we were pleased to host this semester’s FlexFactor at the NextFlex offices. Four teams of high school students competed by pitching their inventive products to a panel of esteemed judges composed of Robert de Neve, General Partner & Chief Strategist General Partner & Chief Strategist at NextPhase Ventures; Christine Holly Ngo, VP of Operations and Business Development at Silicon Valley Elite Manufacturing, Inc; and Jackson Rambough, FHE Design and Process Engineer at NextFlex.

May 21, 2024

LIFT, Department of Defense and State of Michigan Launch Planning Phase for Hypersonics & Extreme Environment Test Facility

LIFT, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is the Detroit-based, public-private partnership between the Department of Defense, industry and academia, committed to the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies, and implementing talent development initiatives to better prepare the workforce today and in the future. LIFT funded in part by the Department of Defense with management through the Office of Naval Research. Visit www.lift.technology or follow on LinkedIn at LIFT or on Twitter @NewsFromLIFT to learn more.

May 21, 2024

May Is Military Appreciation Month - NextFlex Collaborates With Central New Mexico Community College on Military Spouse Profit Training

As a DoD sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institute, NextFlex is collaborating with Central New Mexico Community College on a new program, Military Spouse ProFIT Training. This program will provide skills-based training and employment support to military spouses.

June 3, 2024

ARM Institute Issues Future of Work Study

The ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute today publicly released its Future of Work study. The study, previously issued to ARM Institute Members, details how advanced technologies, chiefly robotics, automation, and AI, are changing the nature of manufacturing careers and the actions needed to prepare the U.S. workforce for these changes.

June 26, 2024

DLA’s inaugural Hackathon showcases potential tech solutions to logistics challenges

Acquiring, piloting, testing and scaling artificial intelligence to revolutionize logistics operations is the goal of the Defense Logistics Agency’s inaugural Hackathon, DLA’s director told attendees during the June 24 event at the U.S. Army Museum.

June 27, 2024

MxD Announces New Board Member and Names New Board Leadership

MxD today announced the addition of Alexis Lasselle Ross, PhD, President of Apex Defense Strategies, LLC., to its board of directors. Apex Defense Strategies is a strategic advisory firm that guides companies navigating the defense market and the Department of Defense.  Ross founded the firm following a more than two-decade career as an executive in both the public and private sectors.  

June 28, 2024

Showing Manufacturers What’s Possible with Robotic Welding

The ARM Institute’s Robotics Manufacturing Hub team hosted Pittsburgh manufacturer, Robinson Fans, at our facility to explore solutions for robotic multi-pass welding for structural components and to help their team get hands-on with robotics. Brian Weinkamer, a robotic welding expert from ARM Member Yaskawa, also joined the ARM Institute on-site as the group replicated Robinson Fans welding procedures using a robot.

July 1, 2024

America Makes Offers TRX in Conjunction with Rapid + TCT Conference

America Makes hosted a special Technical Review & Exchange (TRX) event on June 26 during the annual RAPID + TCT Conference in Los Angeles, CA. Under the backdrop of North America’s largest industrial and additive manufacturing (AM) event, the Institute welcomed over 75 engineers, decision-makers, government, members, and partners from every corner of the U.S. AM industry.

July 17, 2024

Project Highlight: Refined Automated Production of Inflatable Devices

Despite textiles being one of the largest industries globally, textiles are still primarily produced through manual processes. The ARM Institute has catalyzed several projects centered on the advancement of robotic technology in textile manufacturing. The Refined Automated Production of Inflatable Devices (RAPID) Project builds on these concepts by focusing on the automated production of life preservers.

July 22, 2024

NextFlex Reflects on FlexFactor's Nationwide Impact and Growth

Having just concluded the academic year, the NextFlex team took a moment to reflect on the amazing progress the FlexFactor program has made since its inception in 2016, and celebrated the impact that the program is having around the country by updating our success metrics. Cumulatively, the FlexFactor program has served 21,610 students in 38 geographic ecosystems across 13 states around the country and continues to grow nationwide.

July 29, 2024

Made in the USA: Building New Supply Chains with Biotechnology

Global trade has facilitated access to low-cost materials that go into products Americans use every day. However, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed cracks in the current model, which heavily relies on international supply chains. That’s where bioindustrial manufacturing – which strengthens supply chains and develops domestic capacity to produce these essential supplies – comes in. BioMADE members are building this new supply chain by creating alternatives for commodities ranging from fabrics to chemicals to cement, and more. Many of these widely used materials, such as palm oil – which is found in more than half of supermarket items – natural rubber used in high-performance tires, and foods like coffee and chocolate, are currently sourced from tropical regions of the world. As the demand for these products grows, this leads to the degradation and destruction of these rainforests.

Aug. 2, 2024

AFRL Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems Laboratory officially opens

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate celebrated the opening of the Manufacturing, Industrial Technologies and Energy Division’s Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems, or CAMS, Laboratory during a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 23, 2024. The facility will support the research efforts of its Digital Manufacturing Research Team, or DMRT. DVIDS Link: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/477623/afrl-collaborative-automation-manufacturing-systems-laboratory-officially-opens

Aug. 9, 2024

DoD ManTech Showcases Innovations at 2024 NDIA Emerging Technology for Defense Conference

The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) highlighted its programs and partnerships at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition held Aug. 7 - 9, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  

Aug. 12, 2024

Academic Challenge: Future Food Phase 1 Participants

BioMADE is pleased to announce the participants in Phase 1 of its Department of Defense-sponsored Academic Challenge for the adoption and awareness of biomanufactured foods. This Academic Challenge brings together students from universities and community colleges around the common goal of providing students with practical research experiences that promote creativity, critical thinking, and technical innovation, while developing career pathways in the emerging bioindustrial manufacturing sector.

Aug. 12, 2024

DoD ManTech Showcases Innovations at 2024 NDIA Emerging Technology for Defense Conference

The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) highlighted its programs and partnerships at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition held Aug. 7-9, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 14, 2024

ARM Institute’s Robotics Manufacturing Hub Team Delivers Free Proof-of-Concept for Southwestern Pennsylvania Manufacturer

See how our team helped a Southwestern Pennsylvania manufacturer design and test a robotics solution for welding and grinding at no-cost. Ready to see how robotics can enhance your manufacturing competitiveness? Fill out our form below!

Sept. 12, 2024

Enhanced government-industry connections a key focus at DLA’s Industry Collider Day

The Defense Logistics Agency is looking to solve many of its sustainment challenges by tapping into the innovation ecosystem that’s led primarily by commercial industry, the director said Sept. 10 during the fifth annual Industry Collider Day.

Oct. 10, 2024

DoD Manufacturing Science and Technology Program’s Extended Reality Inspection Project Identifies Transition Sponsors

At a recent demonstration and transition workshop at the Wright Brothers Institute in Dayton, Ohio, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Manufacturing Science and Technology Program (MSTP)-funded Quality Control, Quality Assurance Companion (QQComp) team successfully identified transition sponsors and established action plans with two Military Service maintenance, manufacturing, and engineering organizations: The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, and the Air Force’s Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC). These are significant milestones for the team as it works toward a solution to a difficult Department of Defense challenge.

Oct. 23, 2024

DoD ManTech Announces Leadership Changes: Stephen Recchia and Stephen Luckowski Take on Key Roles

The Department of Defense (DoD) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program recently announced two leadership changes, with Dr. Stephen Recchia and Mr. Stephen Luckowski stepping into new roles that will drive the program’s future efforts.

Oct. 29, 2024

DoD ManTech Seeks Innovation Manufacturing Solutions Through New Broad Other Transaction Announcement

The Department of Defense (DoD) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program is seeking to identify novel manufacturing process and emerging technologies from industry, already at mid or high readiness levels, to innovate manufacturing for both commercial solutions and DoD-developed technologies within the Department’s industrial base.