IWRC Aerospace & Defense

IEEE-USA IWRC Aerospace and Defense

Where: Huntsville, Alabama
When: 3-4 December 2024

IEEE-USA IWRC is bringing the CHIPS Act to Alabama!

From 3-4 December, the IEEE-USA Innovation, Workforce, and Research Conference (IWRC) will bring together stakeholders from industry, government, and academia in Huntsville, Alabama, to meet, learn, talk, and discuss the CHIPS Act and other government programs that promote innovation and small business in the southeast. The event includes an evening reception on Tuesday, 3 December, and a full day workshop on Wednesday, 4 December.

Through the CHIPS Act, Congress has allocated $56 Billion for chip manufacturing in the United States with a mandate that the government funding should be allocated throughout the United States. This event will give you an opportunity to meet potential partners from the U.S. federal agencies and learn more about how you can contribute to the Alabama and the southeast innovation ecosystem.

In Partnership with IEEE Region 3 and
the Huntsville Madison County Chamber

IEEE Region 3
Huntsville Madison County Chamber

Who should attend?

Target Attendees

Industry: C-Level, VP level, engineers, legal staff, R&D, patent/small business attorneys, finance & VC

Gain access to potential partners in the federal government, information on tech transfer programs, access to federal SBIR and other research programs.

Government officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies are coming to Huntsville looking for partners — like you! Learn about government programs to promote innovation and small business. Meet potential partners at Alabama Universities. Learn more about the CHIPS Act and how it relates to Alabama. Congress has allocated $56 Billion for chip manufacturing in the US. If you think that’s all going to Texas and California, you are wrong.

Academia:  Presidents, chancellors, tech transfer & patent offices, VPRs, researchers

Gain access to federal grant program officials, information on grant processes, connections with potential business partners, and education on the tech transfer process.

Come learn about potential government funding! Government grant officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies are coming to Alabama to meet with the Alabama tech sector and engineers/ entrepreneurs like you! CHIPS Act requires more resources to flow into states like Alabama — government needs partners to make that happen. Learn how to partner with local small businesses.

Government: Policymakers, Federal funding program officers, economic development professionals, incentive managers, entrepreneurial support orgs

Access to local engineers/ entrepreneurs who are interested in learning more about federal government grants and becoming a part of the Alabama innovation economy. Help you to promote government programs in the southeast while fulfilling Congressional mandates.

Venues

Tuesday, 3 December – Opening Reception

U.S. Space & Rocket Center

U.S. Space & Rocket Center
1 Tranquility Base
Huntsville, AL 35805

Wednesday, 4 December – Conference Sessions

Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center

Huntsville Marriott at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
5 Tranquility Base
Huntsville, AL 35805

Preliminary Agenda*

*Timing and speakers may be subject to change.

Download PDF Schedule

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

Time (CT)Session
5:30 - 7:30 PMOpening Reception

Wednesday, 4 December 2024

Time (CT)SessionSpeaker
8:00 AMRegistration
8:30 AMWelcome & Kickoff
8:45 AMHow Alabama Can Contribute to the CHIPS Workforce
  • Will Goins
    Chair, Huntsville Section (Introduction)
  • Vikram Viswanathan
    Chief Strategy Officer, CHIPS Office, U.S. Department of Commerce (invited)
9:15 AMOpening Keynote: Defense Implications of CHIPS Act
  • Dr. Donna Joyce
    Army Senior Research Scientist for Protective Technologies, DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center
10:00 AMNetworking Break
10:45 AMBreakout Sessions
1) Broadening Collaboration with U.S. Government
  • Kim Caudie Lewis
    CEO, Project XYZ (Moderator) (invited)
  • David Lucas
    Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (confirmed)
2) Education & Workforce Development
  • Dr. Ebonee Walker
    Region 3 WIE representative (Moderator) (confirmed)
  • Lyndsay Ferguson
    Vice President for Talent Initiatives, Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber (confirmed)
  • Zhigang Xiao
    Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Alabama A&M University (confirmed)
12:00 PMNetworking Lunch and Keynote
  • Deirdre Hanford
    CEO, NATCAST (Invited)
1:00 PMAerospace and CHIPS Keynote
  • John Vickers
    Principal Technologist, NASA Marshall Space Flight (invited)
2:00 PMNetworking Break
2:30 PMBreakout Sessions
1) Broadening Collaboration with the U.S. Defense Enterprise
  • Matt Francis, Ph.D.
    CEO, Ozark Integrated Circuits, Region 5 Director, Lead (confirmed)
  • Jeff LaRoche
    RTX (invited)
  • Dr. David Beck
    Space Force (invited)
2) Broadening Collaboration with U.S. Aerospace Enterprise
  • Curtis Hill
    PI, ODME Project and Lead, NASA InSPA Commercialization of Semiconductors, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (confirmed)
  • George White, Ph.D.
    Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Georgia Institute of Technology (invited)
  • Tim Lee
    IEEE-USA President-Elect/Boeing (Confirmed)
  • Brian McJilton
    AFRL Office of Small Business (invited)
4:15 PMSharing Notes: Breakout Session Report Out
5:00 PMWrap-Up and Adjourn

Meet Our Speakers & Panelists

  • Matt Francis

    Matt Francis, Ph.D.

    Founder and President/CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc.

  • Eric Grigorian

    Eric Grigorian, P.E.

    Director, IEEE Region 3

  • Curtis Hill

    Curtis Hill

    Principal Investigator and Subject Matter Expert
    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

  • Dr. Donna Joyce

    Dr. Donna Joyce

    Army Senior Research Scientist for Protective Technologies, DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center

  • Tim Lee

    Tim Lee

    2024 IEEE-USA President-Elect
    Boeing Technical Fellow

  • Brian S. McJilton

    Brian S. McJilton

    Director, Office of Small Business and Vice Director, Strategic Partnering, Air Force Research Laboratory

Registration

TierPrice
Full Registration - Non-Member$300.00
Full Registration - IEEE Member$250.00
Student Non-Member$145.00
Student IEEE Member$95.00
IEEE Life Member$95.00
Speaker/Panelist Registration$200.00
Exhibit Space*

Exhibit Space (Includes one registration) - Includes exhibit space for the organization in the event exhibit hall, one event registration, and placement of the organization’s logo on the event website.

*Additional fees may be incurred for the exhibit table and features like electricity. Closer to the event, we will provide a contact at the event venue.		$500.00