North Carolina Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (NC DMCSP)
On September 22, 2021, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation awarded North Carolina State University Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) one of the five grants under the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP). The purpose of the DMCSP is to make long-term investments in critical skills, facilities, workforce development, research and development, and small business support to strengthen the national security innovation base. The grant application process was based upon the competitive ranking of proposals by a Defense Manufacturing Community Review Panel.
The DMCSP grant is being used to undertake a $7,466,588 project to strengthen defense advanced textiles manufacturing capabilities through an industrial production ecosystem that melds cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, microelectronics, biotechnology, and additive manufacturing. The North Carolina DMCSP Consortium will involve 20 entities across the state and build on existing textile manufacturing collaborations in order to establish a best-in-class innovation ecosystem for the research, development, and production of smart textiles and wearable devices in support of warfighter health and performance.