NADIC West Coast Roadshow

Following the success of last year's inaugural East Coast Roadshow, NADIC and a cohort of leading Norwegian defense companies toured select West Coast military locations from March 10-18 to engage with the U.S. military, government representatives, investors, U.S. defense primes, and more.

Through a series of defense tech showcases, U.S. prime site visits, and innovative collaborations with governmental & industry stakeholders, the Roadshow proved the value of escaping the D.C. bubble and expanding our footprint on the West Coast.

NADIC West Coast Roadshow Cohort:

EzBench | Impetus | Levato | OnTime Networks | Kongsberg Discovery | Norsk Elektro Optikk | Squarehead Technology | Teleplan Globe | Triangula

Keep reading for a full trip recap:

Seattle

March 10-11

A heartfelt thank you to Caitlin Hardy of Ness Sea for being our local expert guide to the Seattle defense tech community and helping organize a successful start to the Roadshow.

The Roadshow kicked off with a defense tech showcase at the historic Rainier Club in downtown Seattle, with active participation from the local venture capital community and the Norwegian Honorary Consul.

Following the showcase, the cohort was given a tour of the Boeing 737 and P-8A Poseidon production facilities in Renton, WA. Norway is a key partner nation utilizing P-8A for allied missions.

Day 2 took us to the Pacific Northwest Mission Acceleration Center for a showcase targeting Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Attendees listened to brief company pitches before diving deep into their tech during the showcase. The cohort met with the U.S. Army Bayonet's Edge Innovations Lab / 7th Infantry Division.

San Francisco

March 12

In San Francisco, we partnered with Innovation Norway for a showcase featuring a high-level crowd from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Lockheed Martin Ventures.

We'd also like to express our gratitude to Kjell Erik Brekke and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco for hosting our cohort for an evening networking reception at their beautiful venue overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

Monterey and Pacific Coast Highway

March 13-15

In Monterey, the cohort met with a Naval Postgraduate School team of academics, industry organizations, and FFI researchers to discuss the various ways Norwegian companies can engage with the school.

Dr. Michael Richardson also gave a briefing on the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation program and the opportunities available for the cohort.

Over the weekend, we drove down the stunning Pacific Coast Highway before arriving in Los Angeles just in time to celebrate "Sentimental Value" becoming the first Norwegian film to win Best International Feature Film!

Edwards Air Force Base, Palmdale, and Mojave

March 16

We began our week by hosting a defense tech showcase in Palmdale, CA featuring productive engagement with the Edwards Air Force Base Contracting Team and local U.S. Defense Primes.

Northrop Grumman then hosted the Roadshow cohort at the famed Mojave Air and Space Port for a tour of Scaled Composites Next-Generation Autonomous Aircraft, followed by an industrial participation session.

Los Angeles

March 17

On Tuesday, we held a working luncheon in Los Angeles with Consul General Kirsten Hammelbo to discuss the latest defense industry trends and how the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco is continuing to provide strong support for Norwegian businesses along the West Coast.

San Diego

March 18

San Diego played host to our final defense tech showcase, as we partnered with the TMA BlueTech cluster to boost significant turnout from local military & maritime networks.

A special thank you to the entire cohort and our partners for making the NADIC West Coast Roadshow a success and ensuring that we will hit the road again soon at a venue near you!