Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Executive Director, Jim Smerchansky, served as the keynote speaker at the Dept. of the Navy's Forum for SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovative Research / Small Business Technology Transfer) Transition, April 3.
NAVSEA has a long-standing history of SBIR/STTR support. During fiscal year 2016, NAVSEA awarded nearly $4 billion to small businesses and currently has SBIR relationships with companies located in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
"What we've learned from these engagements is that our country's small businesses are thirsty to connect with us and show us what they can do to support the Navy," Smerchansky said. "They can't build an aircraft carrier, but they can provide components that go aboard our ships. They can provide logistics solutions and software that can help us expand the advantage we have over peer navies."
Smerchansky discussed how small businesses are integral to ensuring the Navy's predominance across the globe. The breadth and depth of small business' expertise and inherent innovative nature provide options for the Navy to respond quickly to address both existing and emergent requirements.
"Innovation is the creation of a new technology or the use of an existing technology in a new way," Smerchansky told the crowd. "SBIRs provide us options. They provide technology options to deliver new capability and they provide business options to get us out of vendor lock on certain products."
NAVSEA is currently planning its third annual Small Business Industry Day which will be held in August. As with the previous two events, this year's edition will allow dozens of companies to hear directly from deputy program managers from across NAVSEA and the five associated Program Executive Offices about their priorities.
As part of the Small Business Industry Days, NAVSEA established a dedicated website so for small businesses can better understand NAVSEA's missions and priorities. In addition to posting small business opportunities, the site, http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Business-Partnerships/SBIO/ includes a long-range acquisition forecast so companies can better align their efforts with those of NAVSEA.
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