Energetics Technology Center (ETC) and Applied Research Associates (ARA) will serve as the inaugural tenants and partners at ACMI’s Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub.
INDIAN HEAD, Md.—The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) broke ground in May on the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub (MEIH), described by ACMI as a first-of-its-kind defense manufacturing and innovation hub. It is designed to “modernize how the United States develops, tests, and scales critical technologies and energetics production for the military,” according to a release from ACMI.
ACMI’s Maryland hub is backed by an initial $50 million award from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), and is expected to catalyze more than $200 million in additional private investment. It represents NSWC IHD’s “unprecedented effort to expand and modernize the nation’s energetics innovation and manufacturing processes for advanced munitions,” the release said.
Located near Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, AMI’s Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub will consist of multiple new state-of-the-art buildings outside the gates of NSWC IHD. It will host companies and research institutions focused on solving problems for the U.S. military across eight priority innovation areas. Included among them are energetics for uncrewed systems, next-generation propulsion systems, manufacturing automation, and other critical capabilities essential to strengthening the U.S. munitions industrial base.
“This is a generational investment. ACMI is helping America become faster at moving from ideas to production—faster to innovate, faster to manufacture, and faster to scale the technologies that strengthen our national defense,” said John Burer, founder and CEO of ACMI, in the release. “MEIH brings together the infrastructure, capital, and private-sector talent needed to rapidly advance new producers and technologies. By leading the effort to recruit and convene top defense technology companies around NSWC Indian Head Division’s priority mission areas, ACMI is creating a new kind of industrial ecosystem designed to accelerate collaboration, compress timelines, and turn breakthrough innovation into operational capability at unprecedented speed.”
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together cross-sector stakeholders to mark the launch of the new hub, including leaders from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Defense Industrial Association, Parsons, Leidos, and Rafael-USA. The event featured remarks from U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer (MD-05), NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Captain Stephen Duba, Commander Robert Lusk from NSA South Potomac, ETC President and CEO Will Durant, Indian Head Mayor Brandon Paulin, and ACMI Properties CEO David Dowell.
ACMI also announced at the ceremony that Energetics Technology Center (ETC) and Applied Research Associates (ARA) will serve as inaugural tenants and partners. ACMI is reported to be in active conversations with several leading defense technology companies about expanding to MEIH and will make announcements about additional tenancy at a later date, according to the release.
“This initiative ensures that NSWC IHD remains at the forefront of energetics innovation, scale-up, and production,” said Captain Steve Duba, NSWC IHD Commanding Officer. “By bringing together government and industry partners in a collaborative environment, we can accelerate the development and fielding of critical capabilities that strengthen the Navy’s Arsenal and the larger munitions industrial base.”
“Southern Maryland has long been a cornerstone of the nation’s energetics enterprise, and the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub builds on that strong foundation,” said William Durant, CEO and President of ETC, in the release. “ETC is excited to work alongside ACMI and NSWC IHD to advance critical technologies and support the next generation of capabilities for the nation’s warfighters.”
“Local manufacturing is critical to our economy and our workforce. The new MEIH is an important investment in supporting local manufacturing and will further cement our state’s leadership in this critical space,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in the release. “This trailblazing facility will help strengthen our national security, create good-paying jobs, and drive economic growth here in Indian Head.”
The Maryland investment builds on ACMI’s growing network of regional manufacturing campuses. It has pioneered the industrial campus model to revitalize American manufacturing capacity through shared infrastructure, advanced production ecosystems, and public-private partnerships. Earlier this year, ACMI broke ground on its 1,100-acre National Security Industrial Hub (NSIH) in Indiana, a major defense manufacturing campus backed by an initial $75 million award from the Pentagon. Taken together, MEIH and NSIH represent well over $1 billion in investment in the defense industrial base, according to the release.
As phased construction advances toward initial operations at MEIH beginning in 2027, ACMI expects the hub to become a major engine for accelerating defense manufacturing modernization, expanding domestic energetics capacity, and strengthening America’s ability to rapidly develop and scale mission-critical technologies. Development of the hub is expected to create high-quality jobs, attract substantial additional private investment into Maryland’s defense industrial ecosystem, and support the long-term growth of domestic manufacturing capabilities critical to national security.
The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) is an industrial group focused on revitalizing the United States’ manufacturing base by building essential infrastructure and providing the strategic investment and support modern manufacturers need to scale. Operating through its affiliates (ACMI Federal, ACMI Capital, and ACMI Properties), ACMI aligns public and private capital, specialized resources, and technical expertise to bridge critical gaps in domestic production.
“By partnering with emerging and established companies across vital industrial sectors, ACMI is expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity, strengthening supply chains, accelerating innovation, and increasing economic resilience across the American industrial base,” the release stated.