DVIRC

📄 New Report Announced

Rare earth elements power everything from defense systems to electric motors to semiconductors, and the U.S. supply chain for processing and converting these materials remains heavily concentrated overseas.

DVIRC's new Rare Earth Elements Industry Report examines the current landscape, where domestic capacity stands, and what it will take to build a resilient supply chain here in Pennsylvania and across the country.

Read the full report: https://hubs.li/Q04dRdmD0

The Philadelphia region is positioned to lead the next era of U.S. shipbuilding and our new Maritime Industry Report lays out exactly how.

Join us May 1 at 12 PM for a virtual webinar walking through the findings: where the bottlenecks are, where the capital is moving, and how manufacturers can plug into the Maritime Industrial Base.

Register: https://hubs.li/Q04dJHn50

📣 Announcing: John Fry, President of Temple University, will be a featured speaker at DVIRC's Annual Manufacturing Executives Conference & Golf Outing on June 2 at White Manor Country Club.

The day also includes the Manufacturing Excellence Awards and a full schedule of networking with leaders from across the region's manufacturing community.
Golf is optional. Good conversations are guaranteed.

If you're in or around manufacturing in Greater Philadelphia, this one is worth your time.

🔗 Register here: https://hubs.li/Q04d200m0

Join us on May 1 for a live webinar on DVIRC's new Maritime Industry Report. Register here: https://bit.ly/4cxhrm1

The U.S. shipbuilding industrial base is in a decisive decade, and the Delaware Valley is at the center of it — with an estimated 20% of the Columbia-class submarine supply chain running through our region.

DVIRC President & CEO Chris Scafario will present key findings and lay out a practical ex*****on model for scaling regional capacity.

Here's what we're covering:

🔗 Where the critical supply chain bottlenecks are and why they gate national shipbuilding timelines
🏭 How manufacturers can move from capable to qualified for naval work
💰 What $5B+ in recent regional investment (Hanwha, Rhoads Industries, PA Commonwealth, U.S. DOL) signals for the ecosystem
⚙️ How digital shipbuilding, automation, and autonomous systems are changing production requirements
🚀 What the "onramp model" looks like in practice for suppliers, workforce partners, and capital

One of the best days on the calendar for regional manufacturing.

DVIRC's Annual Manufacturing Executives Conference & Golf Outing is June 2 at White Manor Country Club.

John Fry (Temple University) and Michael Eckhardt (Wawa) are headlining, plus the Manufacturing Excellence Awards and a full day of networking.

Golf optional. Good conversations guaranteed.

If you're in or around the manufacturing community, this is worth your time.

🔗 Click here to register: https://bit.ly/4tyItQE

Strength is Manufactured. Godspeed Artemis II!

Today, we recognize the astronauts and teams behind Artemis II as they take the next step toward returning humans to the Moon. This mission reflects the power of American manufacturing, engineering, and innovation—built by the people and systems that make exploration possible.

Congratulations to the crew, and to every team helping push the boundaries of what’s possible.

The future of space isn’t just being built in Florida or Texas. It's being built right here in Philadelphia.

In a new guest commentary in The Philadelphia Citizen, our President & CEO Chris Scafario lays out a clear case for why our region is uniquely positioned to lead in the $1T+ global space economy.

From advanced manufacturing at the Navy Yard to cutting-edge research across our universities, the capabilities and opportunity are here.

Read the full article here and see why the road to Mars runs through Philadelphia: https://hubs.li/Q049599G0

⏳ Last chance to register!

The Spring Into Growth Conference hosted by DVIRC is happening this Friday at Union League Liberty Hill. Manufacturers from across the region will gather for a focused morning on where opportunity is emerging and how businesses can position themselves for growth in 2026.

Sessions & Speakers

🏛 Federal Policy Update
• Matthew Herrmann, The Roosevelt Group
• Rev. Joe Campellone OSFS, Father Judge – Invocation & Opening Remarks

👷 Making Your Workforce Future-Ready
• Joe Williams, Joe Williams Welding Foundation
• Hannah McGarry, DVIRC
• Melissa Tarte, DeVal Lifecycle Support
• Neil Dannug, NAVSEA
• Moderated by Nico de Sousa Serro, Lean/Continuous Improvement Consultant, DVIRC

🛡 Winning the Mission: Partnering with the Department of Defense
• Amanda Page, DVIRC
• Sean Toolan, Merge Plot
• Juan Berrocal, NAVSEA
• Moderated by Jim Donahue, Defense Industry Liaison, DVIRC

💻 Emerging Industries: How Manufacturers Can Win in the $245B Data Centers Boom
• Jon Kirchner, Perfero Advisory
• Vince Duane, Copper Monarch
• Dean Miller, PACT
• Moderated by Chris Scafario, President and CEO, DVIRC

If you want insight into federal policy, workforce strategy, defense partnerships, and emerging infrastructure opportunities, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Register here:
https://hubs.li/Q046Xt__0

DVIRC welcomes Richard Bergs as Health Hazard & Risk Assessment Analyst.

Richard brings deep expertise in biomedical engineering, industrial automation, cybersecurity, and surgical robotics, along with experience supporting Department of War and Department of Homeland Security programs.

He has led complex initiatives in technology readiness, medical needs definition, and risk analysis for the Defense Health Agency, including testing casualty care devices and tourniquet-related technologies. Richard also contributes to international standards through NATO and ASTM working groups.

In this role, Richard will strengthen DVIRC’s efforts to support manufacturers serving the defense supply chain while advancing our Manufacturing Moonshot and AiCE (AI Center of Excellence for Manufacturing) initiatives.

👉 Read the full announcement to learn more about Richard’s background and how his work supports manufacturing, innovation, and national security: https://bit.ly/3OQDKe7

We’re excited to announce that Jon Kirchner, President of Perfero Advisory LLC & DVIRC Board Member, will join us at DVIRC’s Spring Into Growth Conference on March 20th at Union League Liberty Hill.

Jon will be part of the panel discussion, “How Manufacturers Can Win in the $245B Data Centers Boom.”

The U.S. data center market is projected to reach $245B by 2030, with Pennsylvania attracting more than $90B in new investments. If you want to understand where the demand is forming and how to position your business to compete, this conversation is for you.

Register here:
https://bit.ly/4bftBQR