ARLINGTON, Va.—The Department of the Navy (DoN) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs will unveil a first-of-its-kind SBIR/STTR Innovation Center at the 34th annual DoN Gold Coast Small Business Procurement Event — slated for Sept. 6-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.
The SBIR/STTR Innovation Center is a cohort of 20 DoN-sponsored small businesses that will showcase their technologies at exhibit booths and Tech Talks. This is the first time the Navy SBIR/STTR Programs — both located at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) — have created such a cohort. They’re inviting registered and prospective Gold Coast attendees to visit the exhibit booths.
Gold Coast is an ideal venue to spotlight the SBIR/STTR Innovation Center, since it’s the premier Navy procurement conference in the country.
“Gold Coast is so important because it is the only Navy event that brings all 10 Navy buying commands together in one place to network and educate industry on Navy needs,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby.
The SBIR/STTR Innovation Center will occupy a large area of Gold Coast’s exhibit hall, set aside specifically for the showcase of technology developed through the Navy SBIR/STTR Programs. The participating businesses are Phase II awardees — meaning they have created prototypes that are ready to be evaluated for system integration into the fleet.
During Gold Coast, participants in the SBIR/STTR Innovation Center will engage in matchmaking sessions — one-on-one meetings with government personnel to discuss the applicability of their unique technologies to Navy needs.
“On the other side of the coin, this is also an excellent opportunity for people in the federal government who are scouting for innovative technology being developed by companies receiving Navy SBIR/STTR funding,” said Brian Shipley, the Navy SBIR/STTR commercialization program manager.
Those wishing to learn more about the companies and technologies included in the SBIR/STTR Innovation Center should visit https://www.navysbir.com/ngc22.htm.
In addition to visiting the SBIR/STTR Innovation Center, Gold Coast attendees can enjoy the following presentations and panels featuring Navy SBIR/STTR and ONR speakers:
- Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2:45 p.m.: A “DoN SBIR Overview” presentation by Shipley
- Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2 p.m.: A panel titled “What is the DoN Buying?,” which includes ONR Small Business Director Ellen Simonoff
- Thursday, Sept. 8, 9:45 a.m.: A panel titled “Strategic and Modernization Capabilities Across the DoN,” which includes ONR Mission Support Director Alonzie Scott
In-person registration is still available for Gold Coast. Learn more at https://www.navygoldcoast.org.
Warren Duffie Jr. is a contractor for ONR Corporate Strategic Communications.