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Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), hosted its 2026 Industry Day on Feb. 5, 2026, bringing together government and industry partners to discuss mission priorities, acquisition strategies, and upcoming technical and contracting opportunities in support of the U.S. Navy. The hybrid event drew strong participation, with 614 attendees joining virtually and 87 attending in person, underscoring continued interest in collaborating with the command.
The event kicked off with opening remarks from NSWCPD Technical Director Nigel C. Thijs, SES, who set the tone for the day by highlighting the event’s importance.
“Today is about partnership in its purest form – mutual understanding, shared risk and collective success in support of the mission, our Navy and our great nation,” Thijs said. “We can’t do this alone, and we’re counting on industry to bring fresh perspectives, challenge conventional approaches and help us deliver capability to the fleet faster.”
Industry Day is a key annual forum for NSWCPD to engage with current and prospective industry partners, offering transparency into the command’s requirements and long-term planning while creating opportunities for two-way dialogue. The event allows industry to better understand NSWCPD’s technical challenges and acquisition pathways, while enabling the command to identify innovative solutions and gather feedback that strengthens its engagement approach.
NSWCPD has deliberately grown its partnerships, reaching the $1 billion milestone in annual contract awards in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Thijs noted that this growth reflects expanding opportunities for companies of all sizes to work with NSWCPD to design, sustain, and modernize the Navy’s next generation of ships.
“This is an important event for connecting with industry and promoting our partnership in achieving the Navy’s mission,” said NSWCPD Acquisition Policy and Oversight Division Head Doris Tung. “It gives industry a clearer understanding of our requirements and provides NSWCPD an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, identify new technologies, and receive valuable feedback.”
Building on lessons learned from previous Industry Day events, NSWCPD made several enhancements this year to improve both accessibility and engagement. Virtual attendees could submit questions in real time via an enhanced online platform, while in-person participants had opportunities for direct interaction through one-on-one and breakout discussions with NSWCPD personnel focused on specific project areas and needs.
NSWCPD Contracts Acting Department Head Alicia McPeters emphasized the role Industry Day plays in today’s acquisition environment.
“There is a lot of pressure to move faster—not just on the procurement side, but on delivery as well. Our engagement with industry is mutually beneficial,” McPeters said. “When industry understands our long-term acquisition plans, it helps them plan effectively, and it helps us by encouraging stronger competition and better outcomes.”
A continued focus of this year’s Industry Day was expanding engagement with the small business community. NSWCPD Deputy for Small Business Christie Colaianni noted the strong turnout and the presence of many new faces as a positive indicator of progress. Since stepping into the role, she has worked to broaden participation by small businesses across the NSWCPD portfolio, a focus reflected in both the Industry Day attendance and the awarding of contracts to more than 100 small businesses new to NSWCPD in FY25.
“Each year we learn from the past and find new ways to improve the event and enhance collaboration,” Colaianni said. She added that this year’s introduction of in-person matchmaking sessions was designed to encourage more direct engagement, with early feedback from both government and industry participants indicating the approach added value.
The agenda reflected the breadth of NSWCPD’s technical mission, with leaders from across the command presenting requirements and priorities spanning machinery research, logistics, and ship integrity; propulsion, power, and auxiliary machinery systems; cybersecure machinery control systems and networks; and major test programs and industrial support. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, followed by in-person breakout discussions and a meet-and-greet, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with representatives from the Contracts Department and the Small Business Office.
NSWCPD Industry Day remains a cornerstone of the command’s outreach and acquisition engagement, reinforcing partnerships that support innovation, competition, and mission readiness across the Navy’s machinery and systems enterprise.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team conducts research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and materials for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization responsible for providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.
| Date Taken: | 02.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.25.2026 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 558891 |
| Location: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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