Published February 12, 2016
The 2016 AeroDef Manufacturing Event, a national aerospace and defense manufacturing-targeted conference, was held in our own backyard at the Long Beach Convention Center. On February 9-10, AMP SoCal, led by the Price School – USC Center for Economic Development, took advantage of the chance to reach the region’s top professionals with a stake in the aerospace and defense manufacturing industry. The event was attended by a variety of industry experts, from small and medium business owners, engineers, sales representatives, trainers and more. AMP SoCal’s presence included a booth manned by knowledgeable volunteers and staff, and a panel discussion sponsored by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
The panel entitled, The Future of Aerospace Manufacturing: The Southern California Perspective, included David Blanco, President of Performance Ascent, and Chair of the AMP SoCal Operational Improvement & Capital Access Pillar Committee. The discussion addressed some of the difficulties facing the A&D industry in California, such as intellectual property disputes, narrow profit margins and acquisition issues. But highlighted how the advantages of a well-educated talent pool, high-income jobs, and an ingrained culture of innovation and advancing technology, continue to make California an appealing and competitive home for aerospace. Plus the weather ain’t bad either. The panel went on to discuss some exciting trends for additive and hybrid manufacturing in the private sector.
Several worthwhile contacts were made over the course of the conference and many different people stopped by to learn about how AMP SoCal is supporting the aerospace and defense manufacturing infrastructure in Southern California. Over the course of the event, over 2,000 people were in attendance. Currently, the AMP SoCal team is looking ahead to their next event, the AMP SoCal Innovation Forum – SBIR Phase I Proposal Workshop, held Friday, March 18 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at PortTech LA. For more information, please visit http://tinyurl.com/AMPSoCalSBIRWorkshop or contact Libby Williams at [email protected].
