In response to mounting national security concerns over the speed of defense manufacturing, the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and The Protocase Companies have announced the inaugural Velocity Summit, scheduled for November 17, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina. The event aims to convene leaders from industry, the military, government, policy, research, workforce development, and media to confront a critical challenge: the United States' ability to rapidly translate military requirements into manufactured capability at scale.
The core issue, as outlined in the announcement, is one of speed. Despite exceptional engineering talent, technology, capital, and advanced manufacturing expertise, the U.S. defense industrial base often takes years to move from requirements to production. Production delays, supply chain constraints, and limited surge capacity increasingly put national security at risk. The Velocity Summit will focus on a practical question: how can the United States accelerate production, reduce barriers across the defense industrial base, strengthen supply chains, and expand capacity to build and sustain ships, aircraft, munitions, and other critical systems?
North Carolina is positioned to play a leading role in this effort. According to the announcement, the Department of Defense has an estimated $79.7 billion annual economic impact in the state, where the military is the second-largest economic sector. North Carolina boasts the Southeast's largest manufacturing workforce, with approximately 459,000 jobs, more than 400 aerospace manufacturers, over 100,000 aerospace, aviation, and engineering professionals, six major military installations, two deep-water ports, leading research universities, and a statewide community college system.
"We have an extraordinary collection of assets in this state," said Dr. Doug Milburn, co-founder of Protocase. "The opportunity is to connect those strengths around a common mission. That is what Velocity is intended to begin."
Jimmy Hendrix, Director for Regional Programs at NCMBC, emphasized the importance of speed in leveraging these assets: "It is the speed at which we can bring those strengths together to meet urgent national security needs. Velocity Summit is about creating the connections and alignment needed to help transform those strengths into faster, more responsive defense manufacturing capacity for the nation."
Unlike a traditional conference, the Velocity Summit is designed to advance practical solutions and durable partnerships among industry, government, academia, and the military. NCMBC and The Protocase Companies envision the inaugural event as the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen defense manufacturing and raise the visibility of North Carolina's industrial capabilities.
For those interested in learning more about the summit's objectives, a new episode of ProtoPod features Dr. Doug Milburn of Protocase and Jimmy Hendrix of NCMBC discussing the event: ProtoPod episode. Additional information and registration details are available at https://www.ncmbc.us/event/velocity-summit/.
The implications of this summit extend beyond North Carolina. As global threats evolve and demand for advanced defense systems grows, the ability to rapidly innovate and produce is paramount. By fostering collaboration and aligning resources, the Velocity Summit seeks to create a model for accelerating defense manufacturing that could be replicated nationwide. The involvement of key stakeholders from various sectors underscores the recognition that national security requires a whole-of-nation approach, with speed as a critical component.
