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Military Affairs CADENCE

Initiative to bolster California's innovation and manufacturing ecosystems involved in the advancement of national security key technologies or supply chains

What is CADENCE?

The California Advanced Defense Ecosystems & National Consortia Effort (CADENCE) is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to strengthen the resiliency of the national security innovation and manufacturing base involved in the advancement of specific national security key technologies or supply chains including microelectronics, fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology, cyber, space, artificial intelligence, machine learning, fully networked command, control and communications (FNC3) and others. CADENCE ties into OPR’s High Road Economic Development work by providing technical assistance programs and helping grow and sustain California's critical technology workforce through education curricula, training, and work-based learning programs. CADENCE, through the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), is designated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment as a Defense Manufacturing Community. It includes multiple national security project components executed by a consortium comprised of community, industry and non-profit partners; state agencies; and educational institutions.

The erosion of American manufacturing industries’ capacity and capability over the last several decades threatens to undermine the ability of U.S. manufacturers to meet domestic needs and national security requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed glaring deficiencies in the U.S. manufacturing sector's ability to innovate and provide necessary products to the U.S. and the national security supply chain – especially amidst a crisis. Addressing these competitive challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that builds on close partnerships between federal, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, business, and non-profit organizations. CADENCE is working within that framework in California through a variety of activities, including:

  • Engineering and Manufacturing Support for Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Development
  • Manufacturing of Microelectronics, Electronics and Converging Technologies in Defense Modernization
  • Cyber Physical Security for Defense Manufacturing Programs
  • Innovation Protection Program for Defense Modernization
  • Zero Trust Training for Defense Manufacturing Suppliers
  • Smart Manufacturing Workforce Development
  • Internships/Externships for Dual Use Advanced Manufacturing and Dual Use Innovation
  • Space and Commercialization Manufacturing Support
  • Critical Technology Manufacturing Skills Upgrading
  • Catalyzing California’s Defense Manufacturing Modernization Culture
  • Consortium on Advancing Readiness and Resiliency in Key Technologies

Key Resources

Support for U.S. Manufactured Microelectronics
The California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), which is part of the NIST MEP National Network, is assessing and supporting U.S. manufacturers and their use of U.S. manufactured microelectronics and associated electronics in defense modernization priority areas. The program primarily consists of Threat Situational Awareness assessments of DoD supplier knowledge regarding many threat vectors in the semiconductor and microelectronic supply chains. This program helps connect small commercial innovation or defense companies with CMTC’s California Manufacturing Network.
Go to cmtc.com
Engineering and Manufacturing Support for Flexible Hybrid Electronics Development
Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) is revolutionizing electronics by making them thin, low-cost, lightweight, bendable, and able to conform to almost any shape. NextFlex is looking for projects related to FHE, additive electronics manufacturing and advanced packaging for small companies that need help with design, prototyping, low volume manufacturing of defense-oriented devices and systems.
Go to nextflex.us
Space Commercialization and Manufacturing Support
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is carrying out workforce development activities supporting the California defense innovation and manufacturing ecosystem and leveraging three internal organizations, Cal Poly’s Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), Cal Poly’s Cube Satellite (CubeSat) Program, and the California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI). Faculty and students are working directly with industry on addressing partner space commercialization and manufacturing support requirements.
Go to calpoly.edu
Support for the Production of Converging Technologies
This program assesses and supports the security of U.S. commercial innovation in the development and production of converging technologies (such as 5G, AI/ML, Cyber, Space, FNC3) into integrated platforms for defense modernization areas such as the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). The work under this project seeks to connect regional suppliers with DIU, DARPA, AFWERX, Naval-X Tech Bridges, and California educational institutions research labs. The security assessments under this program includes assessment of gaps in manufacturing workforce skills, single points of failure, and vulnerability to actions of foreign nations.
Go to cmtc.com
Smart Manufacturing Workforce Initiative
El Camino College is supporting small business in the California defense industrial base by encouraging the adoption of Smart Manufacturing technologies and with an emphasis on cybersecurity. This program includes workshops, webinars, demonstrations and customized training solutions to upskill defense workers in areas like 5G, AI and other transformative industry 4.0 technologies. El Camino is partnering with UCLA’s Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) and California State University Northridge smart manufacturing team.
Go to elcaminobtc.com
Innovation Protection Program
This program, let by CMTC, provides training to defense manufacturers and innovation firms on threats — beyond cyber — that may attack U.S. defense suppliers and supplier networks. Training includes modules on insider threat, espionage, adversarial capital, Foreign Ownership Control or Influence (FOCI); supply chain disruption; foreign 5G, counterfeit and compromised parts; China’s 1000 Talents Program, China 2025, China Standards 2035 and the compromise of U.S. Universities and Research & Development firms.
Go to cmtc.com
Internship/Externships for Dual Use Advanced Manufacturing
The California Community Colleges, Centers for Applied Competitive Technologies is providing experiential learning opportunities for California Community College statewide faculty externships and student internships at identified California defense supply chain or manufacturing companies, thereby building a pipeline of workforce talent for California defense supply chain and manufacturing companies.
Go to cact.org
Internships/Externships for Dual Use Innovation
The California Community Colleges, Business & Entrepreneurship Sector’s goal is to provide experiential learning opportunities for their students through student internships and to build a pipeline of workforce talent for California DoD SBIR/STTR Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III firms.
Go to businessandentrepreneurship.net
Cybersecurity Assessments
This program supports defense small and medium-sized suppliers in the innovation and production base with training and technical assistance for cybersecurity compliance in their internal information system. The program uses the CMTC 3-phase cybersecurity compliance training model for DoD suppliers (evaluate, implement, execute), focused on improving their cyber compliance and resilience. Training and assistance aligns to support defense modernization priorities including microelectronics and electronics, as well as converging technologies that go into Space, 5G, FNC3, and AI.
Go to cmtc.com
Zero Trust Training
This program provides training in unclassified environments to defense manufacturers and innovation firms on Zero Trust methodologies, trust relationships, and trust assumptions as a vulnerability. The program includes an analysis component to identify and assemble information about Zero Trust relevant to Defense Manufacturing suppliers; regional stakeholders and experts; Trust dependencies common in the supplier networks of microelectronics and converging technology platforms; and analysis of specific implementation pathways for the principles and concepts of Zero Trust.
Go to cmtc.com
Catalyzing California’s Defense Manufacturing Modernization Culture
The San Diego East County Economic Development Council is working to identify ecosystems among CADENCE priorities and help accelerate statewide manufacturing modernization and innovation ecosystems. These ecosystems will encourage networking and collaborations among organizations and defense companies that can address opportunities for innovation and improvement in each area.
Go to eastcountyedc.org
Consortium on Advancing Readiness and Resiliency in Key Technologies
The Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is collaborating with industry, academic and government partners for the planning and development of the Cyber Innovation Center and Technical Program in partnership with the City of San Diego. The center will support DoD’s modernization priorities in cybersecurity, 5G and AI/ML technologies.
Go to sdccoe.org