It’s no secret that the Military is big business in North Carolina, and we are happy to see it grow. Because of this, there are a number of resources available for companies working with the military, and for companies that would like to work with the military. A few examples are listed below:
North Carolina Military Foundation
Created in 2006, the North Carolina Military Foundation actively works on two major fronts:
- To grow the military presence in North Carolina, and
- To grow the number of North Carolina companies that do business with the military.
North Carolina Military Business Center
The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) is a collaborative effort between the business community and the North Carolina Community College System. NCMBC has three organization goals:
- Increase military and federal business for North Carolina companies,
- Integrate transitioning military personnel and family members into the workforce, and
- Support the recruitment and development of defense-related businesses in North Carolina.
The Partnership for Defense Innovation
The Partnership for Defense Innovation (PDI) is a tax exempt 501 c (3) organization which promotes economic development. PDI’s mission is to support research and development, education and programs which have applications in defense and security. They collaborate with educational institutions, the military/intelligence community, the State of North Carolina and private institutions by encouraging the development of technology. Headquartered in Fayetteville, NC, PDI operates and manages the Defense & Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA), and the PDI Research & Development (R&D) Lab. PDI has additional offices in Raleigh and Charlotte.
Defense & Security Technology Accelerator
The Defense & Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA) program helps young companies develop and test their products with the goal of rapidly entering the market place. The DSTA’s focus is on both military and commercial needs in the areas of defense, security and intelligence.
PDI Research & Development Lab
The PDI Research & Development (R&D) Lab is a 10,000 sq. ft facility, scheduled to open in the summer of 2010 at the All American Military Business Park in Fayetteville, NC. The R&D Lab is a significant expansion of PDI’s existing Wireless Lab and will provide the capability to integrate, test, gather metrics and provide innovative approaches rapidly developing and deploying wireless network devices. The PDI R&D Lab is conveniently located next to Fort Bragg, making it accessible to industry, military and government. This central location provides ease of access to the R&D Lab environments for performing system integration and user testing.
