HAMPTON ROADS, VA. – Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) for Research, Development and Acquisition (RDA) James Geurts announced on May 12 the creation of six more “Tech Bridges” nationwide, which included the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge (MATB) in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
“Last September, the Navy began launching Tech Bridges around the country to establish off-base spaces to lower barriers of entry for innovators to connect and collaborate with Department of the Navy people and problems” said Cmdr. Bobby Hanvey, MATB director. “We are excited to announce the addition of a Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge, which will connect local startups, academia and industry partners with the largest U.S. Navy base and presence in the world.”
Established under the Naval Agility Office (NavalX), the MATB is a partnership between the U.S. 2nd Fleet and three Navy warfare centers in the region — Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Dam Neck Activity, NSWC Carderock Norfolk Detachment and Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Hampton Roads Detachment.
“Tech Bridges promote ecosystems of innovation and collaboration,” said Mark Wilde, NIWC Atlantic lead for the MATB. “We needed a mechanism that would help us interface more freely with civilian enterprises throughout the Hampton Roads region, and we believe that the MATB will do that for us.”
During the May 12 virtual event, Navy leaders also announced the creation of five other Tech Bridges in the National Capital Region; Patuxent River, Maryland; Corona, California; Monterey, California; and Ventura, California — effectively doubling the number of Tech Bridges nationwide.
For more information about NavalX and Tech Bridges, visit www.secnav.navy.mil/agility or https://www.secnav.navy.mil/agility/Pages/techbridges.aspx.