FRONTLINE OF THE FUTURE: PROMOTING DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES IN NORTH CAROLINA.

• Position: RESEARCH: NORTH CAROLINA: NORTH CAROLINA MILITARY BUSINESS CENTER

North Carolina--the Frontline of the Future--is home to a highly capable and diverse innovation ecosystem, fully capable of supporting America's warfighters worldwide. Fortunately, North Carolina is also home to the best infrastructure in the country to help industry- and academia-based innovators to win and successfully execute research and development opportunities with the Department of Defense (DoD).

The North Carolina Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH) is a statewide resource of the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC). Focused on technology transition, DEFTECH scours the state for business and university researchers who are developing new technologies with defense applications. These technologies may fit in one of many research and development (R&D) categories, including human performance, medical and biomedical, advanced textiles, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity and many more. Once identified, DEFTECH helps these innovators to introduce their advanced technologies to DoD, and assists them in navigating DoD agencies and R&D acquisition processes.

In addition to seeking out researchers developing defense-related technologies, DEFTECH also develops market intelligence and sources future DoD and Homeland Security technology requirements to the innovation ecosystem statewide. DEFTECH builds relationships with DoD and military service agencies that develop requirements and acquire technologies--including the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Army Futures Command, Marine Corps Systems Command, US Special Operations Command and the military services' rapid fielding organizations--and leverages these relationships to identify, distribute and help innovators to compete for federally-funded research and development opportunities. DEFTECH particularly targets and helps businesses to compete for and win defense-related Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and various Other Transaction Authority (OTA) R&D acquisitions.

DEFTECH employs various methods to engage and communicate with the innovation ecosystem in our state. Innovators can explore the DEFTECH website at www.DEFTECH.nc.gov, review current and anticipated SBIR, STTR and other federally-funded R&D opportunities, and contact DEFTECH by email or phone to...