The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today the award of a contract totaling nearly $16.3 million over five years to the Steel Founders' Society of America (SFSA) for the planning and execution of Cast in Steel, an annual series of manufacturing competitions funded through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP))'s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program. Cast in Steel brings together students from universities and technical trades schools from across the United States to showcase their skills in a unique competitive environment that combines modern technology with historic craftsmanship.
The Cast in Steel competition serves as a key platform for the IBAS program's mission to strengthen the defense industrial base's workforce by investing in future generations. "The competition pushes students to embrace resilience and teamwork, providing them with hands-on experience that mirrors the demands of careers in the defense sector," said Ms. Carla Zeppieri, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. "Participants use cutting-edge casting techniques that blend innovation with history—skills they will carry forward as future contributors to the defense industrial base."
The 2025 competition will feature five qualifying rounds where teams will collaborate with industry partners and utilize state-of-the-art casting technologies. Their progress will be documented through technical reports and videos, and final designs will be judged on creativity, technical execution, and functionality. The competition culminates in a grand finale on April 9–11, 2025, at the American Foundry Society Cast Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, where winning teams will be celebrated for their achievements.
Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024, the Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office has awarded over $3.3 billion through its IBAS program to projects that bolster the defense industrial base. ICAM is part of OASD(IBP)'s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. For more information on MCEIP, please visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html
About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP))
The OASD(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future. The OASD(IBP)'s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, which manages the IBAS program, provides DoD with key capabilities to achieve the strategic aims of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, Executive Order 14017 (Securing America's Supply Chains), and the National Defense Industrial Strategy. These foundational documents call for a strong, resilient, responsive, and healthy national industrial base that can respond at-will to national security requirements.