Defense Alliance Selected as Defense Sustainment Technologies
Center of Excellence

St. Paul, MN, 05/23/07 – The Defense Alliance of Minnesota, the state’s defense industry network begun by Minnesota Wire & Cable Co. in 2004, announced today that it has been selected as a center of excellence for the Defense Sustainment Consortium (DSC). The DSC is a national effort by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to better connect Department of Defense (DoD) technology requirements for sustainment of the armed forces with the businesses that can support those requirements.

According to the Defense Alliance Director, Chip Laingen, DoD in recent years has focused considerable efforts on re-shaping its acquisition policies for new and existing equipment to help sustain the nation’s defense infrastructure for the long haul. “There is a heightened sense of urgency across all defense agencies to make things last longer,” said Laingen. “It’s the right thing to do for the tax payer, and for the service members who employ technology on the battlefield. On top of that, the spin-off technologies for commercialization are considerable and this represents a win-win for DoD and for the region’s economic future.”

The Alliance will tap much of its membership of 225-plus businesses for inclusion in the DSC initiative, including those who likely have “off the shelf” products or active R&D programs that can contribute to sustainment needs, including 3M, Shield Technologies, and Minnesota Wire & Cable Co. Along with an ongoing connection among the DSC membership, the executive board conducts quarterly meetings around the nation to present federal agency opportunities to its members. The most recent board meeting, held at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, included presentations from the Department of the Navy’s NAVAIR center, NASA and the Veterans Administration (VA).

Governor Tim Pawlenty has also endorsed the initiative, and the Defense Alliance will explore collaboration with the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development in the time ahead. In a letter to DSC’s executive director, Governor Pawlenty said, “Minnesota takes great pride in its long history of contributing to the nation’s defense, with people and technology. Establishment of a center of excellence for sustainment technologies would be a welcome new addition to that history.” More about the DSC initiative itself, and the related technologies that surround this effort can be found at http://dsc.defsus.org.