In response to growing concerns over the speed at which the United States can produce critical defense systems, 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 will bring together leaders from industry, the military, government, policy, research, workforce development, and the media to tackle one of the most pressing national security challenges: the slow translation of military requirements into manufactured capability.
The summit’s focus is squarely on speed. While the U.S. boasts exceptional engineering talent, technology, capital, and advanced manufacturing expertise, it often takes years to move from military need to fielded equipment. Production delays, supply chain constraints, and limited surge capacity increasingly imperil national security. The Velocity Summit will ask a practical question: how can the country turn military requirements into manufacturing capability at scale more quickly? Discussions will center on accelerating production, reducing barriers across the defense industrial base, strengthening supply chains, and expanding capacity to build and sustain ships, aircraft, munitions, and other critical systems—all with North Carolina businesses poised to play a leading role.
“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.”
North Carolina is well positioned to contribute. According to the press release, 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 also has the Southeast’s largest manufacturing workforce—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.
“It is the speed at which we can bring those strengths together to meet urgent national security needs,” said Jimmy Hendrix, Director for Regional Programs at the North Carolina Military Business Center. “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. A new episode of ProtoPod featuring Milburn and Hendrix discussing the summit is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIQd1dHTixo. For more information and to register, visit https://www.ncmbc.us/event/velocity-summit/.
The North Carolina Military Business Center is a statewide business development and technology transition entity of the State of North Carolina, embedded in community colleges and headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The Protocase Companies—comprising Protocase, ProtoSpace Mfg, and 45Drives—operate at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and open-source infrastructure, helping engineering and technology teams rapidly iterate hardware and move toward production on timelines aligned with modern mission requirements.
