Massachusetts aims to be the “cornerstone of the defense industry,” with Governor Maura Healey announcing nearly $47 million in government funding for defense-related projects.  Last year, the Department of Defense ranked Massachusetts ninth out of the top ten states in total Defense spending in FY2023, and the state is aiming to expand its investment in national security with the following newly announced funding streams:

  • $25 million:  State and local funding in partnership with the City of Lowell to support the construction of the Integrated Microelectronics Production & Advanced Chip Technology (“IMPACT”) Center, as part of a public-private partnership to develop the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (“LINC”).
  • $11.4 million:  Federal and state funding to develop cutting-edge solutions by supporting the Army’s Natick Soldier Systems Center, and providing scale up funding support to Massachusetts small businesses working on innovation projects at Hanscom Air Force Base. 
  • $10.2 million:  Grants to nine organizations under the Supporting Chip Advancement from Lab to Enterprise (“SCALE”) Capital Program to promote and strengthen Massachusetts’s microelectronics ecosystem.

Governor Healey is seeking to grow the state’s defense industrial base by toggling a variety of additional levers, including issuing an executive order for executive offices to “identify opportunities to create new economic growth for defense sector organizations in Massachusetts and to increase support for individuals seeking to navigate state agency defense sector initiatives.”  Each office is to report back within six months (i.e., by April 27, 2026) with their findings.

Governor Healey also launched the Massachusetts Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (“SHIELD”), as informed by the Military Asset & Security Strategy Task Force (“MASS-TF”), a new initiative to strengthen the state’s defense leadership and accelerate the development of cutting-edge national security solutions.  A SHIELD Working Group will advise the Governor on advancing the defense industry in the state.  The Governor also announced a new defense industry sector focus within the Executive Office for Economic Development (“EOED”)’s Business Front Door Navigator to connect defense companies and organizations with state resources and growth opportunities.  With these investments and new initiatives, Massachusetts is aiming to expand on its trajectory as a go-to location for defense investment, as it has been for life sciences and climate technology industry investment.

Tags: Defense Industrial Base, Department of Defense, DoD
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Photo of Paul Rogers Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers is a partner with a broad-based corporate and securities transactional and advisory practice. He is co-chair of the firm’s Aerospace, Defense, and National Security Industry Group. His practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, venture capital financings, securities offerings…

Paul Rogers is a partner with a broad-based corporate and securities transactional and advisory practice. He is co-chair of the firm’s Aerospace, Defense, and National Security Industry Group. His practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, venture capital financings, securities offerings, and corporate governance. He has served as counsel to numerous companies (ranging in size from the development stage to large public companies), entrepreneurs, and venture capital firms.

A significant portion of Paul’s practice is focused on representing non-U.S. entities in acquisitions and divestitures of, and investments in, U.S. assets. Many of these transactions are subject to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review. He also regularly advises companies on the corporate law aspects of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) mitigation. He works as part of an integrated team with our CFIUS and FOCI practice group in each of these areas.

Paul has experience in a number of industries, including government contracting, defense and national security, internet, broadcasting, manufacturing, life sciences, automotive, networking and communications, computer software and hardware, and distribution.

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Photo of Peter Lichtenbaum Peter Lichtenbaum

Peter Lichtenbaum advises clients on a broad array of international regulatory compliance and trade matters, including export controls, economic sanctions, national security reviews of foreign investments, anti-corruption laws, market access, and international trade disputes. He has specialized experience in the aerospace and defense…

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Peter is ranked in Band 1 for Export Controls & Sanctions in Chambers USA (2019), which reports that he is “one of those rare lawyers who thinks through all the options moving forward.” Chambers describes him as a “go-to lawyer for those with export controls and sanctions issues.”

Peter has recently helped several companies establish, review or enhance their compliance programs. He is advising major technology companies regarding the impact of recent and ongoing export control developments on their businesses. He has worked with many leading aerospace and defense companies on internal investigations and disclosures related to trade controls and China. He also advises many of these companies on export control reform and defense trade policy issues, including international agreements on the regulation of defense trade. He has extensive experience with the trade controls issues that arise in the U.S. system for national security review of foreign investment, helping companies to identify issues and mitigate government concerns.

Peter served as Vice President for Regulatory Compliance and International Policy at BAE Systems, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of one of the world’s largest defense contractors. He was responsible for a broad array of regulatory compliance and policy issues. He participated in BAE Systems’ development of innovative standards of internal governance in order for the company to be recognized as a global leader in ethical business conduct.

Previously, Peter held senior positions in the Department of Commerce, one of three key agencies responsible for administering U.S. trade controls. From October 2003 through February 2006, he served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, responsible for developing BIS policies regarding export controls imposed for national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation, and other reasons. Peter chaired the inter-agency Advisory Committee on Export Policy, and managed BIS’s participation in multilateral export control regimes. He represented the Department of Commerce in many sensitive matters reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Peter served for several months as Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security and as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

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Photo of Scott A. Freling Scott A. Freling

Scott Freling co-chairs the firm’s Government Contracts practice and is recognized by Chambers USA as a leading practitioner. He divides his practice between representing civilian and defense contractors in traditional government contracts matters and guiding buyers and sellers—including a number of leading private…

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Scott also represents contractors at all stages of the procurement process and in their dealings with federal, state, and local government customers. He handles a wide range of government contracts matters, including compliance counseling, contract terminations, claims, disputes, audits, and investigations. Scott frequently advises contractors on organizational conflicts of interest and government intellectual property rights. He also counsels clients on risk mitigation strategies, including obtaining SAFETY Act liability protection for anti-terrorism technologies.

Law360 has recognized Scott as a MVP in Government Contracts. He was a founding co-chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee of the ABA’s Public Contract Law Section.

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Photo of Kayleigh Scalzo Kayleigh Scalzo

Ranked by Chambers USA among government contracts practitioners, Kayleigh Scalzo represents government contractors in bid protests and other high-stakes litigation matters with the government and other private parties. She has litigated bid protests in a wide variety of forums, including the Government Accountability…

Ranked by Chambers USA among government contracts practitioners, Kayleigh Scalzo represents government contractors in bid protests and other high-stakes litigation matters with the government and other private parties. She has litigated bid protests in a wide variety of forums, including the Government Accountability Office, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, FAA Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition, federal and state agencies, and state courts.

Kayleigh a co-chair of the American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section’s Bid Protest Committee. She is also a frequent speaker on bid protest issues.

Kayleigh maintains an active pro bono practice focused on immigration issues and gender rights.

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Photo of Sarah Schuler Sarah Schuler

Sarah Schuler is an associate in the firm’s Government Contracts Practice Group, advising clients across a broad range of government contracting compliance issues. Her areas of expertise include advising on intellectual property and data rights issues under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, including obligations…

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