The US Department of Defense has awarded the American Center for Manufacturing Innovation (ACMI) a $75-million contract to establish a munitions research and development (R&D) ecosystem.
The project aims to construct a “Munitions Campus” for emerging local business partners specializing in munition innovations to bolster the country’s national security.
The pilot hub’s location will be determined during the program. Its construction will serve as an “exploratory step” to plan additional campuses across the US.
Munitions Campus
Primary work at the facility will transition munitions R&D into production. The center will practice resource pooling to minimize the costs of capital, expertise, factories, fabrication capabilities, and talents.
Key resources the campus will offer include prototype testing, non-destructive inspection, explosive storage and logistics, and munitions manufacturing equipment.
“This project is part of a portfolio of initiatives designed to reduce barriers for emerging domestic businesses, leverage and stimulate private capital, and establish regional manufacturing ecosystems,” the US defense agency said.
“These projects harness the overlap between Defense and commercial markets, aggregating demand to generate economies of scale that empower domestic industry to compete with foreign suppliers.”
Supporting Smaller Munitions Companies
As it matures, the munitions campus will offer additional services such as process innovations and additive manufacturing technology or 3D printing to cut expenditures for other needs in the US Department of Defense.
ACMI will develop the facility in partnership with multiple stakeholders.
Construction is expected to begin later this year. Interested businesses can send tenancy availability inquiries through the company’s website.
“This ground-breaking model accelerates innovation by bringing together companies with complementary capabilities and by providing shared resources to drive cost-efficiency,” ACMI Federal Ecosystem Manager Pam Clark said.
“The munitions campus will reduce the capital investment required for individual companies to play in this space and enable smaller companies and innovators to grow and scale up more efficiently.”