WILMINGTON, N.C. — The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and The Protocase Companies will co-present the inaugural Velocity Summit on November 17, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina, bringing together leaders from industry, the military, government, policy, research, workforce development, and media to confront a pressing national security challenge: the speed at which the United States can turn military requirements into manufactured capability.
America’s defense manufacturing challenge is fundamentally one of speed. Despite exceptional engineering talent, technology, capital, and advanced manufacturing expertise, it can take years to translate military requirements into fielded capability. Production delays, supply chain constraints, and limited surge capacity increasingly put national security at risk. The Velocity Summit will center on a practical question: how can the United States turn military requirements into manufacturing capability at scale more quickly?
Discussions will focus 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. Organizers aim to position North Carolina businesses as leaders in innovating around current constraints.
“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. 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 Dr. Doug Milburn of Protocase and Jimmy Hendrix of NCMBC discussing the Velocity Summit is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIQd1dHTixo. For more information and to register for the event, 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. NCMBC leverages military and other federal business opportunities to expand North Carolina’s economy, grow jobs, and improve quality of life.
The Protocase Companies—comprising Protocase, ProtoSpace Mfg, and 45Drives—operate at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and open-source infrastructure. Through a velocity-first approach to engineering and fabrication, the organization helps engineering and technology teams rapidly iterate hardware, validate designs, and move toward production on timelines aligned with modern technology and mission requirements.
The summit’s implications extend beyond North Carolina. As global threats evolve, the ability to rapidly produce and sustain defense systems is critical to U.S. national security. By convening stakeholders to address bottlenecks and foster collaboration, the Velocity Summit could catalyze a more responsive defense industrial base, ensuring that American military advantages are not undermined by slow production cycles. For industry, it signals opportunities to partner with the military and government on innovative solutions, while for the state, it reinforces North Carolina’s role as a defense manufacturing hub.
