NCMBC and Protocase to Launch Velocity Summit for Defense Manufacturing

The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and The Protocase Companies have announced they will co-present the inaugural Velocity Summit on November 17, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina. The event will bring together leaders from industry, the military, government, policy, research, workforce development, and media to address a critical national security challenge: accelerating U.S. defense manufacturing capacity. As the announcement, covered by NEWMEDIAWIRE, explains, the core issue is speed—the United States possesses exceptional engineering talent, technology, capital, and advanced manufacturing expertise, yet it can take years to translate military requirements into manufactured capability. Production delays, supply chain constraints, and limited surge capacity increasingly put national security at risk. The summit will focus on how to turn military requirements into manufacturing capability at scale more quickly, with discussions 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.

North Carolina is positioned as a key player in this effort. 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 boasts 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. “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, added, “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, 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 Dr. Doug Milburn and Jimmy 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 NCMBC 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.