IKIM is conducting research to develop a policy plan related to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD and the U.S. manufacturing economy are interdependent. The U.S. military relies on manufacturers – particularly small and medium manufacturing firms – to sustain the defense supply chain, and a substantial share of U.S. manufacturing firms count DoD as a customer. In response to declining U.S. manufacturing employment and concerns about a shortage in skills to important sectors, IKIM aims to develop a vision for how U.S. manufacturing can become more innovative, flexible, and competitive – and how government investments in the manufacturing workforce can contribute to those goals.