Industrial Mobilization for Crisis Manufacturing

DARPA is interested in technology and implementation solutions that would enable an industrial base (defense and commercial) to rapidly (in less than 30 days) address unanticipated crisis needs (greater than 10 times baseline production) with minimal impact to day-to-day operations and rapidly (less than 30 days) return to normal operations at the conclusion of a crisis. Examples of potential crisis demands may include a natural disaster, pandemic, or armed conflict.

DARPA is seeking innovative solutions which challenge conventional approaches and provide a path towards novel utilization of indigenous manufacturing capacity. To bound the problem, this RFI will focus on structural systems and manufacturing. Approaches only geared towards chemical, or electronics surge capacity are important, but out of scope for this RFI.

Additionally, wholesale changes to industrial production strategies are interesting, but do not necessarily reflect a near term baseline state from which surge capacity would be generated and are likely out of scope. DARPA is seeking comprehensive surge strategies and technologies that can be applied across the broad domain of U.S. and worldwide manufacturing. Industry leaders who employ best practices that may be outside the traditional DoD industrial base are encouraged to respond to this request.