Building and Sustaining the Submarine Shipbuilding and Undersea Technology Defense Industry Ecosystem

Southeastern New England is small but mighty, punching above its weight when it comes to the national security landscape. Our region contains an impressive collection of public sector defense entities, private sector defense manufacturing and technology firms, valued educational organizations and relevant infrastructure assets.

The strength and diversity of the sector is well represented in the region.

In other words, southeastern New England is the Silicon Valley of undersea technology.

vThis observation has been made by two Secretaries of Defense—both Hagel and Esper—and underscores the value of regional partners in protecting our nation and supporting our economy. Submarines and their underlying technology, onboard systems, capabilities, and operational concepts are developed here. An innovation ecosystem has developed, supported by key collaborative resources including research and development at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, academic research and thought leadership at the Naval War College and other area universities, and a technology industry cluster representing large and small suppliers.

The Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) is laser focused on growing and strengthening this regional defense industry ecosystem. Our mission is to enable the development of innovative technology, foster thought leadership, and facilitate the nimble and responsive workforce development needed to support a strong talent pipeline. SENEDIA has 130 member companies, mostly in New England, but beyond as well. Key technology thrusts of the alliance members are submarine shipbuilding and undersea technology.

BRIDGING TALENTS

SENEDIA connects defense companies, who often refer to themselves as ‘competimates,’ sometimes serving as competitors and other times as teammates. They rely on SENEDIA as a bridge to talent, meeting the industry’s workforce needs for their current and future positions. In support of this, SENEDIA has a robust science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) internship program with a directed focus on veterans.

In August 2020, SENEDIA was awarded an $18.6 million contract from the Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Office focused on submarine shipbuilding workforce development, specifically related to trade and industrial skilled employees. These jobs are high-tech, high-demand, and high-wage.

In support of this effort, SENEDIA has established a New England region Next Gen Sector Industry Partnership. The partnership, comprised of companies in the submarine shipbuilding supply chain, meets quarterly to identify common challenges and is supported by a stakeholder group that consists of state workforce and training agencies and other training and related nonprofit organizations. The stakeholder group develops proposed solutions to the challenges of industry, prioritizing transparency and communications so that businesses know exactly how to access programs and supports. The website, BuildSubmarines.com, hosts resources for the industry partnership.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

SENEDIA partners across government, education, media, and defense businesses to develop and sustain the innovation ecosystem. We regularly convene defense leaders from government, Congress, and industry, providing a space to share best practices and collaborate to mutual benefit. Our signature event, Defense Innovation Days, was created in 2014 to bring together companies who are developing cutting-edge innovations with policymakers who are helping steer the nation’s defense strategy. This event creates a community where policymakers and business leaders within the defense arena can engage with and learn from one another.

We just concluded our 2021 Defense Innovation Days and, though virtual, it provided an important venue for conversation and forward-thinking solutions across priority topics, including national security, climate change, cybersecurity, and foreign affairs. Key speakers included Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Jack Reed, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, and White House National Cyber Director Chris Inglis among others.

Beyond our signature convening, SENEDIA also hosts monthly Tech Talks focused on more targeted technology discussions. A recent Tech Talk, for example, featured Electric Boat senior executives who discussed their growth trajectory and supply chain needs in support of the Columbia and Virginia-class submarine programs. This sustained growth is resulting in significant hiring of trade and industrial skilled employees and continued expansion at Electric Boat.

UNDERSEA TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CONSORTIUM

In 2016, driven by the growing ecosystem of regional and national undersea and maritime technology companies and the Department of Defense’s parallel need for undersea technology innovation, SENEDIA worked to establish a partner organization, the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC). The UTIC mission is to facilitate collaborative rapid prototyping, development and testing of innovative undersea and maritime technology.

In June 2018, UTIC was awarded the Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a special DoD contract for prototyping, for Undersea Technology Innovation by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. An OTA is an “enterprise partnership” between the government and a consortium of technology developers and providers, allowing innovation through partnership and collaboration. The OTA, with up to a 10-year contracting horizon, allows for industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector to engage in a broad range of undersea and maritime prototyping activities in support of the Department of Navy’s needs.

The UTIC OTA represents a unique opportunity to work collaboratively and leverage industry, academia, and government capabilities. It is an even greater opportunity to quickly deliver the innovative solutions the Navy needs. Prototypes developed through an OTA may include physical or virtual models to evaluate the technical or manufacturing feasibility or military utility of a technology, process, concept, end item, or system. Any commercial, nonprofit, or academic institution that is part of the consortium is eligible to receive an award. Barriers are minimized and support is provided for companies who have not previously worked with DoD to participate.

The UTIC OTA is a game changer—enabling critical technology/innovation to get to the fleet faster. UTIC currently has 300 member organizations from 37 states. Over 70% percent of our membership are small businesses, ensuring broad outreach to innovative technology providers. With just over three years of operation, there have been over 60 UTIC OTA awards to provide prototype technology solutions, with a total value of over $300 million. The Department of Navy identifies technology needs to UTIC members bi-annually in the spring and fall. Urgent needs can be identified out-of-cycle. Members respond in turn with an enhanced white paper defining their proposed technology solutions. The government can choose to accept the white paper proposal and award, decline to award, or put the proposal in “the basket,” allowing the government the opportunity, over the next three years, to make a future award.

Through workforce development, and support for innovative technologies, and by serving as a bridge between companies and talent, and industry and government, SENEDIA and UTIC are growing the innovation ecosystem. We bring people and ideas together, and the result is a deeper pool of talent and a greater network of solutions for undersea technology.

For more information, visit: www.senedia.org / www.underseatech.org