In a recent interview conducted by technology journalist Himanshu Vaibhav from eletimes.com and timesev.com, Mr. Chris Peters, the Founding Executive Director of the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE), addressed several critical topics. He discussed the pivotal role of industry-government collaboration in addressing challenges within the defence sector, emphasized the significance of technology in facilitating cooperation between defence industry players and government agencies to confront emerging threats, highlighted the key advantages of establishing a robust partnership between the U.S. government and the private sector in the defence industry, explored how these collaborations bolster innovation and technological progress within the defence sector, and offered insights into future opportunities for expanding industry-government collaboration in the defence sector, along with the primary focus areas that the USPAE is prioritizing to drive these partnerships forward.
TimesEV: How does industry-government collaboration play a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced in the defence sector?
Mr Chris Peters: Industry-government collaboration is crucial to ensure the government can capitalize on the latest technologies, help the industry better position itself to support defence needs and provide greater supply chain resilience for all. USPAE plays an important role in facilitating that collaboration as a neutral, non-profit organization.
TimesEV: What role does technology play in fostering collaboration between the defence industry and government agencies to tackle emerging threats?
Mr Chris Peters: Technology plays a significant role in collaboration, such as the various government online platforms that track technologies to match defence needs. Once a technology is matched with a defence need, the two organizations are quickly connected, dramatically shortening the discovery cycle.
TimesEV: What are the key benefits of fostering a strong partnership between the U.S. government and the private sector in the defence industry?
Mr Chris Peters: While the U.S. government at one time drove much of the electronics demand, it is clearly driven today by commercial needs. The best option for the government to stay abreast of the latest and future developments is to partner with industry. USPAE helps connect the government with companies that have the technologies they seek.
TimesEV: In what ways do these collaborations enhance innovation and technological advancements in the defence sector?
Mr Chris Peters: There are many government programs to help industry advance technologies, especially electronics. USPAE is about to launch a project that will provide government funding for companies to commercialize technologies that also can be used for defence needs. This type of collaboration helps the companies succeed while helping meet government needs.
TimesEV: What future opportunities do you see for expanding industry-government collaboration in the defence sector, and what are the key focus areas for the USPAE in driving these partnerships forward?
Mr Chris Peters: As a neutral, trusted third party, USPAE is playing the role of “convener,” bringing together government and industry to collaborate in ways that achieve success for all involved. This effort may be in the form of workshops, forums, research and more. The projects that USPAE will announce in the next few weeks will establish new models for industry and government collaboration.
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