In the age of manufacturing turbulence and ever-intensifying cybercrime, the U.S. Department of Defense is finding it more important than ever to tap into the resources of the private sector. The Pentagon issued its very first National Defense Industrial Strategy, or NDIS, earlier this month in a move to shape and bolster its relationship with commercial industry over the next three to five years.
“Partnership and open communication between the Department of Defense and the private sector are vital to maintaining our technological advantage now and into the future,” Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Hon. Heidi Shyu shared with GovCon Wire in an exclusive statement.
Shyu, who is a multiple-time Wash100 Award winner, spoke with us in advance of her opening keynote speech at the Potomac Officers Club’s fast-approaching 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit. Remaining seats are very limited at the event, so if you want to hear Shyu’s extended remarks about the prototype-to-implementation pipeline and get a chance to engage with her on these important issues, register here now. The summit is taking place on Jan. 31st at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Virginia.
At the summit, Shyu said she intends to contribute to the discourse of “important perspectives on the rapidly evolving technology landscape of today and the military technologies of tomorrow.”
This landscape inherently includes the NDIS, which Shyu’s colleague and fellow Wash100 recipient, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante said “recognizes that America’s economic security and national security are mutually reinforcing and, ultimately the nation’s military strength cannot be untethered from our overall industrial strength.”
Expect Shyu to address the NDIS during her remarks, and perhaps shed some light on new DOD initiatives that are forthcoming as a result of the strategy.
Also featured at the Defense R&D Summit are Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director for National Security Stephen Welby; Defense Innovation Unit Deputy Director Aditi Kumar; and many more! (Full lineup here.) Join the most prominent names in GovCon and defense sector technology and register here today.
