NC courts aerospace, defense firms to grow defense hub

North Carolina officials met with aerospace and defense manufacturers near London last week as part of an effort to recruit more companies to the state and expand its growing aviation and defense industry.

The delegation met with companies that already have operations in North Carolina, including Airbus, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin, as well as firms with no current presence in the state, during the Farnborough International Airshow held July 20-24.

Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), told the Triangle Business Journal that it might be some time before state officials find out if the meetings were a success.

The state also has competition with other states, including South Carolina, Kansas, and Ohio, who also had representatives in attendance.

The trip comes at a time that North Carolina is positioning itself to become a leader in defense manufacturing, aerospace production, and national security industries.

In May, the NC Chamber of Commerce and the North Carolina Critical Technologies Alliance announced the launch of the First in Defense Coalition, an industry-led effort geared toward making the state a leader in defense manufacturing and innovation.

Founding members of the coalition include North Carolina State University, NSTXL, Duke University, RTI International, the Institute of Digital Engineering, the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, and the Wireless Research Center.

The coalition’s three core priorities are elevating defense as a key economic opportunity for North Carolina, accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation in critical technologies, and positioning the state to attract and grow defense companies from across the United States and key global markets.

The Chamber said in a press release that they want to ensure that North Carolina is primed for defense manufacturing and innovation investment as the US accelerates the modernization of the military, building up critical supply chains, and expanding the defense industrial base.

They added that venture investment into early-stage defense companies hit a record $49 billion last year. 

The coalition was expected to convene members of North Carolina’s defense ecosystem and federal leaders in Washington, DC, this summer and at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris this past June.

Earlier this month, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, announced the launch of a new statewide advisory council that will try to bolster the state as a premier location for defense research, innovation, advanced manufacturing, and technology commercialization.

The North Carolina Advisory Leaders for Innovation Growth in National Security (NC ALIGN), convened by the Department of Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology & Innovation, will bring leaders from industry, higher education, state government, and national security organizations together to help identify strategic opportunities, strengthen statewide coordination, and advance North Carolina’s long-term competitiveness in high-growth technology sectors critical to national security.

According to a NC Department of Commerce press release, NC ALIGN builds upon recommendations first identified through North Carolina’s Advancing Defense Innovation initiative and will focus on four strategic priorities supporting domestic defense including clarifying North Carolina’s strategic opportunities in science, technology, and innovation; improving visibility of the state’s research and technology capabilities; strengthening coordination among universities, industry, government, and supporting organizations; and supporting outreach and relationship-building with federal agencies and national partners.

The council will also include liaison and contributor participation from North Carolina-based Department of Defense organizations. Initial contributor participation includes the XVIII Airborne Corps (Fort Bragg), Fleet Readiness Center East (Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point), and the US Army Research Office (Research Triangle Park), with additional organizations expected to participate as NC ALIGN grows.

Commerce officials stress that NC ALIGN is intended to complement, not duplicate, the work of existing organizations and initiatives supporting North Carolina’s defense innovation economy, and will only operate as an advisory body and will not manage programs or award funding.

Stein and other state officials are no strangers to traveling abroad to court global businesses to North Carolina.

In October, leaders, including the governor and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley, traveled to Asia to promote North Carolina’s growing economy and make the case for why global companies should invest in the state.

“NC courts aerospace, defense firms to grow defense hub” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.