Overview

The 2008 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC ’08) will be held December 1-4, 2008 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida. It will be held in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Advanced Systems and Concepts, the Military Departments, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Missile Defense Agency and the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel. Based on the theme, “Defense Manufacturing: Are We Ready to Provide Affordable Warfighter Capabilities?”, the agenda is structured to bring together over 1000 leaders and technical specialists from government, industry and academia to exchange perspectives and information about the DOD Manufacturing Technology program, industrial base initiatives and related DOD transformation initiatives.

The DMC has become the principal national forum for discussion of DOD industrial base issues, programs and capabilities, as well as counterpart industry initiatives and concerns. Critical issues include key manufacturing technology program development status, impact on system/subsystem development, acquisition and sustainment affordability, diminishing supplier sources, assuring domestic technology transfer and the opportunity for greater use of world-wide defense and commercial industrial processes and business practices for defense needs.

The conference general sessions will feature key speakers from the Department of Defense, the military departments (with the US Army, the emphasis Service this year), industry, several defense related associations, academia and other distinguished speakers who will add their experience, expertise and insight to this year’s expanded program.

Major defense program manufacturing status and issues will be reviewed, including invited participation (government program offices and industry) from:

• Future Combat Systems
  
• CVN 21 Class Aircraft Carrier
  
• KC-45 Air Refueling Tanker
  
• 21st Century Soldier Equipment
  
• Strategic Missile Defense Systems
  
• Defense Logistics Supply Chains

The conference manufacturing technical program will cover the following topics:

• Metals Processing and Fabrication
  
• Composites Processing and Fabrication
  
• Electronics Processing and Fabrication
  
• Energetics and Munitions Manufacturing
  
• Sustainment and Readiness Manufacturing
  
• Manufacturing Workforce and Workforce Education/Training
  
• Global Network Centric Manufacturing
  
• Small Business Innovative Manufacturing Initiatives

In addition to the traditional general and technical sessions, DMC ’08 is being expanded to consider the impact of some pervasive issues and opportunities facing the defense (and private sector) manufacturing communities, including:

• Manufacturing Readiness Assessment Policy, Implementation and Training
  
• Manufacturing Workforce in Crisis
  
• Manufacturing R&D Investment Opportunities and Sources
  
• Manufacturing/Industrial Base Policies and Capacities

Attendees will also have the opportunity to interface with over one hundred government, large and small business, and academic exhibitors that will depict current, near and far term manufacturing and sustainment initiatives and technologies in transition from the laboratory to the production floor.

For further information contact the DMC ’08 registration desk at:
phone: 937-426-2808
fax: 937-426-8755