National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) sets up second office in Michigan at Velocity to support defense & technological industries in Macomb County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sterling Heights, Mich. — The National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) is the preferred, proven source of ground vehicle, automotive, and intelligent systems technology for the US Military. Based in Ann Arbor, the organization has a long history of supporting members in creating technology to improve conditions for those on the front lines. NAMC has invested in an expanded new office space at the Velocity, a collaborative SmartZone space for technology-based professionals and businesses.
“A lot of our members focus on military technology innovation. Since we act as an intermediary between those organizations and the Department of Defense, it’s important for NAMC to be able to offer a space for these sorts of collaborations,” said Warren Sponsler, NAMC’s Senior Director of Strategic Growth. “Establishing a more permanent space within Velocity is exactly the step we needed to expand opportunities for both our organization’s members and our customers in developing military technologies in Michigan.”
Velocity, a 43,000 square foot business incubator, accelerator, and coworking space at 6633 18 Mile Road in Sterling Heights, is one of 21 Michigan SmartZone technology business accelerators. These spaces provide services for partnering with tech transfer offices and facilitating technology and research. Born from the collaboration between the City of Sterling Heights, Macomb County, and Oakland University, Velocity is a resource for businesses in the manufacturing, technology, and defense industries.
“Along with being part of a Michigan SmartZone, we’re located in the Sterling Innovation District that encapsulates 28 million square feet of industrial and high-tech space,” said April Boyle, Senior Advisor for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Interim Director of Velocity. “It’s organizations like NAMC that show the power of collaboration within these industries. We’re excited to have them invest in our community.”
NAMC has 500+ Member organizations including academia, nonprofits, defense prime contractors, small businesses, and non-traditional defense contractors (organizations who historically have not worked with the Government). These organizations are dedicated to the development of manned and unmanned autonomy-enabled advanced mobility systems and related technologies for US military personnel on the front lines. To facilitate this, NAMC focuses on providing members with access to innovative projects, like Mission-Driven Innovation Studies (MDI), Ecosystem and Architecture Initiatives, Soldier Innovative Workshops (SIW), and Market Research Demonstrations. In addition, NAMC currently facilitates the Ground Vehicle System (GVS) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) managed by the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) located at the Detroit Arsenal.
“With our expanded office space at Velocity, NAMC envisions serving as an anchor to continue bringing members of the defense industry, both large and small with innovative technology, together to collaborate on critical programs and grow their businesses,” said Sponsler. “NAMC’s presence clearly aligns with Velocity’s mission, especially as a State of Michigan Smartzone focusing on defense. With several events already in the works, we’re looking forward to more opportunities and future collaborations.”
For more information, please visit www.NAMConsortium.org and www.MiVelocity.com.