The Department of Defense is announcing a request for information (RFI) to identify partnership opportunities for a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute dedicated to synthetic biology, or SynBio, for non-biomedical applications. The SynBio institute aims to deliver new capabilities by "scaling-up" critical bio-manufacturing processes and related biotechnologies in partnership with industry and academia. Responses to the RFI will gauge interest and scope technology focus areas to provide commercial- and defense-relevant products and applications through the institute.The RFI signals DoD’s continued commitment toward public-private partnerships that facilitate collaboration, leverage existing resources and encourage co-investment in manufacturing technologies with broad commercial and defense applications.
As part of the RFI process, DoD will convene two stakeholder workshops on October 23 (Boston, MA) and October 25 (San Jose, CA). Industry and academia are invited to attend and provide their perspectives and comments on the technology focus area. DoD representatives will be in attendance to answer questions and participate in discussions.
The DoD Manufacturing Technology Office, along with the Assistant Director for Biotechnology within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, OUSD (R&E), will lead the effort as part of the biotechnology modernization priority.
Responses to the RFI are due on November 8, 2019.
The RFI can be viewed here.
Register for stakeholder workshops and view more information here.
Cleared for Open Publication. DOPSR Case # 19-S-2397