Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD)
In October 2025, Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll convened the Massachusetts government and defense and national security sector leaders to sign Executive Order No. 648, establishing the Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD) Initiative. The mandate was simple, play offense on defense, to catalyze opportunities for economic growth, job creation, talent recruitment and retention, and technology-to-capability transition in defense.
Working Group Report to the Governor
This report highlights the SHIELD findings, including top challenges and a SHIELD action agenda, which serves as a playbook to fully realize the Massachusetts opportunity. It also identifies a critical path forward through four immediate actions needed to maintain momentum and enable execution of the full action agenda. Read the Executive Summary.
Engage
Let us know how you are participating in the defense sector, if you would like to participate in follow-on discussions or if you would like to be updated on SHIELD’s progress.
Workshop Days
Media Coverage
- Massachusetts Defense Sector Outpaces Biotech in Jobs and Economic Output, Report Finds - Boston Business Journal
Additional Resources:
The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Executive Office of Economic Development are excited to partner with you as you look to start, scale or grow your business in Massachusetts. Whether you are a well-established business in the state or considering moving and/or starting a business here, the Business Front Door is Massachusetts' newest platform to ensure that you receive the most up-to-date and relevant information about the state’s resources for businesses.
The Massachusetts Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) was launched to foster the most complete, most connected and fastest manufacturing ecosystem from innovation through production.
Workforce development is a major tenet of CAM’s work. Building and investing in talent across the state’s manufacturing industry is reflected in many of their programs, including:
- MassMakes: Helps companies across the state grow and create jobs by connecting them with a comprehensive range of services, including financial incentives, equipment grants, workforce training programs and talent acquisition.
- MassBridge: Trains community college students to meet industry needs for today and beyond.
- Makers of a Better Future: Introduces high school and grade school students to cutting-edge technologies and associated careers in advanced manufacturing including robotics, photonics, advanced functional fabrics, flexible hybrid electronics, additive manufacturing and semiconductors.
- MassTech Intern Partnership: Offers students a concrete pathway into the industry and strengthens the state’s tech talent pipeline.
Connecting Massachusetts-based manufacturers with capital is key to the success of the industry. CAM does this by offering funding via:
- Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2): Supports innovators across sectors as they begin manufacturing hardtech technologies.
- Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP): Helps small- to medium-sized manufacturers prepare to meet the demands of Industry 4.0 and the manufacturing of new technologies and innovations that align with key industries in the state.
The MassCyberCenter helps sustain a diverse, vibrant and competitive cybersecurity ecosystem that enhances resiliency for public and private entities, provides workforce development opportunities and elevates public cybersecurity awareness.
Businesses across all industries, of every shape and size, from startups to legacy brands, are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The MassCyberCenter strengthens economic resiliency statewide by offering:
- Critical Infrastructure Toolkit: Raises awareness and shares guidance, frameworks, tools and best practices for critical infrastructure cybersecurity — especially for smaller organizations with limited resources.
- A list of cyber resiliency resources.
Cyber Resilient Massachusetts Grant Program: funding is available for municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits to receive a grant from the MassCyberCenter for up to $25,000 to fund Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services from CyberTrust Massachusetts for up to three years.
The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) is a collaborative organization driving innovation in U.S. microelectronics, with its NEMC Hub serving as a key arm focused on regional collaboration. The NEMC Hub is a network of 250+ organizations, including commercial and defense companies, leading academic institutions, federally funded R&D centers (FFRDCs), and startups concentrated in eight Northeast states. As a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), NEMC fosters a vibrant, connected ecosystem to provide sustainable lab-to-fab enablement, boost education and workforce development, and spur new jobs.
- The PROPEL Program gives NEMC Hub members with 100 or fewer employees access to grant funds to cover up to 75% of the costs associated with the utilization of lab-to-fab manufacturing services and third-party operations services as outlined below.
- The SCALE Capital: Massachusetts Lab-to-Fab Grant Program provides grant funding opportunities to Massachusetts-based projects in support of the NEMC mission to build-out a thriving microelectronics innovation ecosystem, bridging the gap between cutting-edge proof-of-concept devices and production readiness.
The Innovation Institute is the division of MassTech created in 2003 that advances innovation and cluster growth across the state in four ways:
- Conducts research and analysis that improves the state's understanding of unmet needs and opportunities in the innovation economy
- Serves as a convener and key strategic broker within various sectors
- Manages high-value projects on behalf of the state
- Makes strategic investments in support of innovation-based economic development
Anchored at the intersection of public sector priorities, world-class academic institutions and a vibrant innovation ecosystem, the Massachusetts AI Hub operates as a neutral convener and catalyst to translate AI leadership into broad-based economic and societal benefit. The Hub's efforts focus on connecting, accelerating and scaling AI initiatives that advance innovation, economic growth, workforce development and the public good across Massachusetts.
