State of Washington (DIA)
Abstract
Trade and export is a critical component of economic growth, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Washington businesses already struggle with the complexity and lack of information in the domestic defense market. The international security and defense market has higher barriers to entry around subjects like export compliance, International Traffic in Arms Regulation and US national security, as well as the nuances and cultural complexities inherent in foreign business. Although Washington State has economic development programs aimed at taking Washington businesses global, the focus of these efforts is based on a sector strategy in the commercial market. The military and defense sector is unique because of its consumption of each of the other five identified sectors (Maritime, Aerospace, Information Communications Technology, Clean Technology, Life Sciences). The Department of Commerce’s trade and export program is highly successful at finding commercial opportunities for Washington based companies abroad, but lacks the adequate resources to focus on the defense specific trade challenges. Through this supplement to Washington’s current Defense Industry Adjustment grant, we will be able to integrate trade and export as a component of the current diversification strategy for defense businesses. Working closely with the Department of Commerce’s trade team and Washington Military Alliance partners focused on industry, we believe a highly successful trade and export program specific to defense companies and the challenges they face will be created. To understand trade and export issues and opportunities specific to Washington’s defense businesses, we will institute an industry advisory council into the WMA and create five international market reports both of which will encompass the five identified sectors (Maritime, Aerospace, Information Communications Technology, Clean Technology, and Life Sciences). We will also ensure that as Commerce continues supporting Washington businesses in trade and export, they are able to quickly and easily understand which ones are defense businesses by mapping our assessment data into the state’s Salesforce database. Finally, we will directly assist defense companies in expanding to international markets through targeted outreach, counseling and support. We expect that this additional focus on trade and export for defense industry will result in a defense company (or defense-side) focus within Washington’s trade and export program, identified Washington defense businesses being equipped to understand issues, regulations, and future opportunities in trade and exports, and using trade and export opportunities as another diversification opportunity for businesses. Together, these outcomes will foster successful diversification and retention of the defense industry in Washington.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 06, 2016
- Source ID
- HQ00051410045
Entities
People
- Connie Robins
Organizations
- Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Washington State Department of Commerce