We connected with Rob Carpenter, Managing Director of the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kansas, to discuss the Hub's new partnership with Groover Labs.
The OnRamp Hub: Kansas joined Groover Labs as an Institutional Member late last year. Read the news release here. We wanted to check in with Rob, learn more about his background, what brought him to the OnRamp Hub, and why they chose to partner with Groover Labs. Rob also shared about the Hub's relationship with the Department of Defense and the types of dual-use technologies that are in high demand.
Rob provided us with a description of the OnRamp Hubs program nationwide, the more narrow focus of the Hub in Kansas, and its directive to support Advanced Manufacturing and prototyping maturation in the region:
The Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs serve as an open door to the Department of Defense, supporting the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU); where academics, companies, and entrepreneurs can learn how to enter the national security innovation base, discover how to access government programming and funding, and engage in national security events and opportunities. OnRamp Hub: Kansas is one of five locations nationally with others in Arizona, Hawaii, Ohio, and Washington state.
The OnRamp Hub: Kansas team deeply understands Advanced Manufacturing (AM) in a highly regulated environment and the enabling technologies that support AM and sustainment. We provide direct support for prototype maturation (TRL/MRL), landscape analysis, and have a critical understanding of the cybersecurity space. We also provide guidance and direction to innovators at all levels looking to work with the DoD by connecting them with other support organizations like APEX accelerators and mission partners with strategic needs. (Visit their website here to learn more.)
Can you share a bit about your background and what led to your role as manager director of the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kansas?
I am an aerospace engineer by training and a design engineer by trade. I moved to Wichita in 2006, right out of college at OSU (Go Pokes!) for my first job at Cessna. I worked there for five years before moving to Airbus to continue my engineering journey. At Airbus, I transitioned into various leadership roles within the organization delivering larger, more complex design solutions for passenger aircraft including the A320NEO and the A330. I began supporting FirePoint Innovations at WSU, the host organization for the OnRamp Hub: Kansas program, as a consulting engineer back in 2019 while still at Airbus. I had the chance to move over full time with FirePoint as the Technology Collaborations manager in 2020 and took on the role as the Managing Director of the OnRamp Hub in 2023 when we launched the program.
What kinds of dual-use technologies are you looking for at the OnRamp Hub: Kansas, and how do you see them functioning in the commercial market while also supporting the Department of Defense's (DoD) needs?
The beauty of the DoD is they can really benefit from all types of technology, not just kinetic products that go down range which is what most people think of when they think of the military.
If you think about the DoD, they operate across many technology verticals like construction on bases and trauma surgery to keep soldiers alive in addition to aviation platforms, ground vehicles and the other things we typically consider “military”. An example of true dual use might be a drone-based sensor that’s used by mining and exploration companies to identify rock formations for drilling that could also be used to map an area to see if underground cave systems are present.
There are also opportunities to make slight tweaks to products in areas like cyber security that have been developed for commercial applications that could also apply to the DoD.
How does opening a location at Groover Labs build on the OnRamp Hub: Kansas' ability to connect with tech startups? What other opportunities do you envision for the partnership?
We recognize Groover Labs as the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem here in South Central Kansas and adding a location here will allow us to connect more frequently with our local innovators.
Our goal is to be the open “front door” for companies who want to connect with the DoD and what better place than Groover Labs for that mission? Additionally, we plan to host workshops with partners from across the country supporting hardware-focused startups as they look to scale their production. Our relationship with Groover Labs, the access to the Maker Labs and the team, including Jeremiah [Jeremiah Burian, Maker Labs Lead], will be invaluable in supporting these companies as they build out their manufacturing plans.
How do you see using your office space at Groover Labs, and what kind of activities and events do you plan to host there?
We plan to host monthly seminars on various topics to support the growth of our local companies. A recent example is the Intro to CMMC 2.0 we hosted in March. This allowed us to inform the community of upcoming requirements from the government that could impact them if they plan to sell products to the DoD.
Additionally, we have open office hours every other Wednesday allowing the innovators at Groover Labs to come in and chat with us to see how we can best support them in their current stage. We can connect with other organizations that provide free services to get set up on Sam.gov, for example, which is required for winning a contract with the government. (Visit the Events Calendar here.)
What are some of the most common challenges startups face when entering the defense sector? How will the OnRamp Hub: Kansas help them navigate some of these challenges/complexities?
There are a myriad of challenges early-stage companies face when trying to bring products to market, and this is no different when you are looking to sell to the DoD. Beyond the normal pains of developing a product and building a team, the government has additional things that have to be considered. The procurement cycles can be long, government-specific contracts can be difficult to navigate, and there are many regulations in place when selling products such as ITAR controls. We support companies as they navigate these challenges.
What does success look like for the OnRamp Hub: Kansas' partnership with Groover Labs and the Wichita startup ecosystem in general?
Success for our program is identifying companies in our ecosystem and supporting them in responding to mission-critical needs from the DoD. We have a unique opportunity, as one of only five OnRamp Hubs nationwide, to elevate the companies and capabilities from the state of Kansas onto the national scene. In a perfect world, we would connect a company from Groover Labs with a specific technology through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to a mission partner with a need and a funding mechanism who can put that company on contract and grow our local economy through products or services created here in Kansas.
How does the OnRamp Hub: Kansas fit into the broader national security ecosystem under development through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)? Wichita has seen an increase in Department of Defense funding over the past few years. What role does Wichita's ecosystem play in the larger defense innovation ecosystem?
We are a connection point for our city and state into the broader DoD. Through our interactions with DIU leadership, we have opportunities to highlight the amazing capabilities of Kansas. This includes things like our technical expertise in advanced manufacturing because of our history in the aviation industry.
We also get to brag about our local mission partners at McConnell AFB on both the active Air Force side as well as those supporting National Guard mission. The 184th Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard is a great example of the defense ecosystem here in the state since many of the airmen and women are dual status and work right here in our community which builds our expertise and our economy.
Wichita continues to support the defense innovation ecosystem by supplying major components on new platforms, like the recently announced plan for Textron Aviation to manufacture the fuselage for the newest Army Aviation platform here in Wichita. This is just one example but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other companies of all sizes in our state supporting the various missions across the DoD.