Innovation Forum Series
AMP SoCal holds Innovation Forums to connect small- and medium-manufacturing businesses with federal research and development funding opportunities or new technology. Each of the workshops are recorded and shared below.
For future Innovation Forum events, please check our upcoming events page.
Apprenticeship Innovation Forum
August 27, 2020
A company’s most valuable asset is its employees.
Successful companies not only recruit the right people for their missions but also invest, mindfully, in growing the workforce to be tailored to their needs. This forum features veteran apprenticeship program managers as well as business owners who will speak about their experience developing and implementing apprenticeship models that respond to the specific needs of a company.
HUBZone Certification
April 16, 2020
The Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) program was established by the SBA to help small businesses in both urban and rural communities. Businesses in this program get preferential treatment from contracting officers including 10% price evaluation preference in contract competition. The federal government’s goal is to award at least three percent of all federal contracting dollars to HUBZone-certified small businesses each year. OEMs with federal contracts are constantly in search of suppliers that are HUBZone-certified. This webinar reviews the HUBZone qualifications and offers guidance in the application process.
SBIR Workshop
November 21, 2019
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants are awarded each year by the federal government to companies to conduct research and develop innovations for the government. The funded research can then be converted into new commercial products and technologies. This workshop covers the program basics.
Becoming Cyber Aware: An Issue of National Security – A Fireside Chat with General (Ret.) Petraeus and Dr. Clifford Neuman
March 18, 2019
Together, General Petraeus and Dr. Neuman will discuss cybersecurity dangers, recent cyberattacks, and what actions the U.S. government and military are taking to prepare and what more needs to be done. General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus served for over 37 years in the U.S. military, and following his service in the military, served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He interviewed Dr. Clifford Neuman, Director of USC’s Center for Computer Systems Security and Associate Director of the USC Informatics Program.
Highlights:
Exporting to Mexico for Aerospace Suppliers
October 16, 2018
The objective of this workshop is for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to learn about the benefits of exporting and provide information on the ExporTech program and how to get started. Experts shared more about the Baja California (Mexico) Industrial Sector which represents access to $11 billion of supplier opportunities. The agenda is available here.
Highlights:
UAV Manufacturing Roundtable
November 10, 2017
AMP SoCal, in partnership with the Tesla Foundation, hosted an interactive event focused on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) manufacturing in Southern California, including available resources and opportunities for businesses. The agenda is available here.
CubeSats & Other Small Satellites
November 18, 2016
AMP SoCal highlighted the rapidly growing aerospace sector of small satellites (under 1,100 lbs) which is revolutionizing the industry by making spaceflight and extra-atmospheric observations more data rich, affordable, and accessible to businesses, universities, and researchers. This event provided an overview of the next wave of new technology from researchers at Cal Poly and USC, as well as top commercial innovators who are enabling space exploration via small satellites. The agenda is available here.
Highlights:
Technology Transfer for Small Business
June 30th, 2016
This Innovation Forum spotlighted technology transfers occurring through local universities and how to apply them to commercial use. There was an overview of six regional universities and a National Laboratory that highlighted available technology transfers occurring through their tech centers and different commercial applications within the aerospace and/or defense industry. The agenda is available here.
SBIR/STTR Phase I Proposal Workshop
March 18, 2016
Attendees learned the basics of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants, how the program makes sense for their respective company and the details of how to write a competitive proposal for funding. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Marie Talnack, an SBIR/STTR program expert with over 30 years of experience in writing and submitting successful grants and proposals. The agenda is available here.
Highlights:
Dept. of Energy’s Small Business Voucher Program Overview
December 11, 2015
This workshop focused on how to apply for the Dept. of Energy’s $20 million Small Business Vouchers Pilot Program at five National Laboratories. Information on the DoE’s Voucher Program includes how to assist qualified small businesses with program requirements, application and evaluation process and important dates. The agenda is available here.
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