Shipbuilding & Naval Research

Shipbuilding & Naval Research

The U.S. Navy’s ability to execute its mission is facing headwinds—authoritarian near peer competitors abroad and a contracting and fragile shipbuilding industrial base here at home. Additionally, to meet future threats, the Navy must develop and adopt transformational technologies like unmanned platforms, advanced power and energy systems, and distributed sensing networks, among many others.

To address capacity challenges, Congress and the Department of Defense (DoD) have invested significant funding to support submarine and shipbuilding industrial expansion—both at prime contractors and throughout the supply chain—shipyard infrastructure build out and manufacturing technology improvements. SMI has been successful in helping members of the domestic shipbuilding industrial base secure competitive funding opportunities, including via the Navy’s complicated “Supplier Development Funding” processes. SMI helps clients navigate the complex web of stakeholders (e.g., Navy program managers, prime contractor shipyards, Congress, DoD industrial policymakers) and develop requirements-based, compelling proposals that lead to contract capture. Additionally, SMI has unique experience working with Congress to shape legislation and funding related to Buy America requirements, shipbuilding acquisition strategies, and technology priorities, including in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and the defense appropriations bill.

Regarding naval research, SMI has assisted organizations of all types and sizes build technology development programs that meet Navy requirements and gain Navy support and funding. SMI works with clients to scope projects, identify government stakeholders, secure funding, and ultimately transition the resulting innovation to sustainable programs of record. SMI has expertise in advanced power and energy, composites, manufacturing technology, unmanned systems, and data-driven operations, among many others.

SMI’s Shipbuilding and Naval Research team is comprised of in-house experts and consultants that have extensive experience working on these unique issues, both in the government (U.S. Navy, DoD, Congress) and in the private sector.