Carlos Del Toro, secretary of the Navy and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, called on industry and academia to take part in efforts to reinstate the U.S. shipbuilding and repair landscape and said that doing so demands a multipronged approach.
He said Thursday at a conference that the approach includes building new technologies to maintain the country’s naval edge, fostering fair competition, investing in efforts to revitalize the shipbuilding industry and building up partnerships with key allies to address China’s growing influence.
Del Toro noted that the Department of the Navy’s commitment to rapid tech development and innovation offers an opportunity for industry to participate.
He cited the Talent Pipeline Initiative and the need to build up capacity in various fields.
“We must establish programs that build capacity in fields like naval architecture, engineering, and lifecycle management, as well as technical expertise in nuclear welding, robotics, software management, and additive manufacturing,” said Del Toro.
“Your work on these programs will be invaluable to developing and rebuilding our nation’s shipbuilding landscape. Everyone here has a part to play in these efforts—and it is a strategic imperative that we rise to the occasion,” he added.