This chapter presents a case study on the successful partnership among
academia, industry, and defense to develop weapons, starting from their
conceptualization to their implementation. As for academia, public universities and
research centers were called upon to support research and train defense personnel. In
the industry, several small and medium-sized companies were selected to jointly
manufacture certain weapon components as a strategy to produce high-quality parts,
developing reliable suppliers as specialized techniques were required. A team of
defense personnel, both engineers and technicians, had to be formed and trained in
several areas, such as software for Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided
Engineering (CAE), and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) applications;
advanced and additive manufacturing; mold design and manufacturing; materials
science; industrial property; and technological surveillance; and others. The successful
results of this partnership suggest that interaction under clear rules and a willingness to
collaborate among academia, industry, and defense leads to an accelerated pace of
technological research and development, creating a virtuous circle in which all sectors
benefit.
Keywords: Reliable suppliers, Specialized manufacturing processes, Technological surveillance, Weapon development strategy.
