Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program

The Defense Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program (DMS&T), managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is a comprehensive initiative designed to advance manufacturing technologies and processes critical to national defense. The program's overarching objective is to accelerate the transition of innovations and scientific discoveries into deployable defense capabilities. This strengthens the resilience and competitiveness of the U.S. defense industrial base. DMS&T supports joint, cross-cutting, and high-risk/high-payoff technology areas, addressing manufacturing challenges identified in key policy directives and executive orders, such as the 2018 report on strengthening the defense industrial base and supply chain resiliency.

Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) are a cornerstone of the DMS&T program, with nine DoD-led institutes operating under the Manufacturing USA network. These public-private partnerships bring together industry, academia, and government to mature advanced manufacturing processes in areas such as additive manufacturing, digital innovation, materials, photonics, textiles, medical manufacturing, robotics, and bioindustrial manufacturing. The MIIs focus on collaborative R&D, supply chain integration, and workforce development, requiring non-federal cost sharing and providing state-of-the-art pilot facilities. Objectives include expanding the additive manufacturing workforce, enhancing digital thread integration for supply chain modernization, developing advanced materials for hypersonics and sustainment, and scaling bioindustrial manufacturing for critical defense applications.

Manufacturing Education and Workforce Development (M-EWD) aims to modernize and expand the talent pipeline for advanced manufacturing within the Defense Industrial Base. This line item invests in strategic education initiatives, regional career and technical education modernization, and digital learning platforms such as ManufacturingWorkforce.org. The program leverages labor market data to inform curriculum development and replicates successful workforce models across the Manufacturing USA network. Key objectives include scaling workforce solutions, integrating advanced data management tools, and fostering partnerships across government, industry, and academia to ensure a robust, future-ready manufacturing workforce.

Manufacturing Science and Technology Program (MSTP) addresses cross-cutting defense manufacturing needs that exceed the capacity of any single service. MSTP invests in early-stage manufacturing process development and enterprise business practices in areas such as advanced electronics and optics, advanced materials and composites, emerging manufacturing processes, and energetics. The program funds multi-year projects to improve manufacturability, reduce costs, and accelerate the delivery of new capabilities. Recent efforts have focused on transmit/receive integrated systems, advanced pulse power, lightweight materials, and robotics for munitions production. Congressional adds have further supported initiatives like additive manufacturing casting, advanced composites for hypersonics, and nanoscale materials manufacturing.

Technology Industrial Innovation Base (TIB) provides strategic assessments and interventions to ensure the U.S. industrial base can support next-generation defense technologies. TIB uses a three-step approach assess, protect/promote, and monitor to identify industrial base gaps, develop investment and protection strategies, and track the effectiveness of these interventions. The program conducts deep-dive assessments of emerging manufacturing capabilities, informs technology roadmaps, and supports risk mitigation for critical and emergent technologies, as mandated by recent National Defense Authorization Acts.

Advanced Manufacturing Demonstration Capability (AMDC) is a new initiative focused on rapidly maturing biomanufactured products and establishing domestic production capacity for critical defense applications. AMDC activities include formulation studies, prototyping, qualification testing, and initial production scale-up for biomanufactured chemicals, materials for hypersonics, energetic material precursors, and alternatives to petroleum-derived products. The goal is to validate and scale promising bioindustrial technologies to meet DoD requirements and address capacity shortfalls in the domestic bioindustrial base.

Tech Transfer & Commercial Partnership (T2CP) supports the policy, guidance, and coordination of technology transfer activities across the DoD, facilitating thousands of active public-private partnerships with DoD laboratories. Objectives include completing economic impact studies for Cooperative Research and Development Agreements and license agreements, updating policy and regulations, and providing training for DoD legal and technical professionals. T2CP ensures that DoD-developed technologies are effectively transitioned to commercial and defense applications, maximizing the return on federal R&D investments.