After thorough deliberation and discussions with our partners regarding federal funding uncertainty and agency restrictions, we have decided to postpone the upcoming Oceans In Actionworkshop, originally scheduled for April 15-17, 2025. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we navigate these challenges.
We will provide an update as soon as the new date is confirmed. Registration will remain open and continue through the rescheduled event. Please let us know if you have any questions or require further information.
Thank you for your patience and support.
Join us for the Oceans In Action 2025 Workshop, an in-person event featuring the marine science and technology research efforts along the Gulf Coast that transform into operational missions worldwide. Following the success of the larger, OCEANS 2023 Conference, the workshop will host presentations from locally based federal agencies, state-led initiatives, and high-tech companies. This year’s event will once again highlight the results of the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) vignettes that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2024. In addition to the Department of the Navy, these vignettes are supported by NOAA, USM, and LSU and are the results of testing new technologies in an operational scenario.
About the Meetings
Business-to-Business/Business-to-Government (B2B/B2G) session to take place from 1:00-5:00 on April 17, 2025, at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center. We have a number of federal agencies and large companies serving as “anchors” for this session and you will be able to select which ones you would like to meet with one-on-one. Each anchor has provided a paragraph of what they are looking for in small companies, strategic partners, vendors, suppliers, and/or technology developers. Each meeting will be 15 minutes in length, and you can meet with any or all anchors.
Register for the Conference
In order to participate in the B2B/B2G anchor meetings, you must register for the Oceans in Action 2025 Workshop. Click here to register.
Schedule Your Meetings
After you register, send the list of which anchors you would like to meet with to MSET’s Brittany Morse. Meetings will be scheduled as sequentially as possible on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware that there may be breaks in between meetings for your company, as we try to fit in as many requests as possible.
Meet the OIA Anchors
Below are the anchors attending the event, as well as some information on their priorities.
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)
General Dynamics Information Technology is looking for Small Disadvantage Businesses along the Gulf Coast that demonstrate the ability to recruit candidates with a Secret Clearance with core capabilities in software engineering, systems architecture, application development, system administration, cloud computing, database administration, and cyber security.
GDIT develops strong alliances with small businesses that provide technology and engineering services. We are committed to the principles and spirit of Public Law 95-507, as amended, and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19, which establishes requirements for participation in federal contracting opportunities by:
- Small business (SB) concerns, including Native American small businesses
- SBA-certified HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zones) small businesses
- Small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns
- Veteran-owned small business (VOSB) concerns, including service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB)
- Women-owned small business (WOSB) concerns
- Historically black colleges and universities/minority institutions (HBCU/MI)
- AbilityOne organizations
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of Mississippi. For 85 years, Ingalls has designed, built and maintained amphibious ships, destroyers, and cutters for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. The largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants, Ingalls is simultaneously building four classes of ships.
Ingalls Shipbuilding is interested in meeting with companies providing products and services that have experience in shipbuilding/manufacturing. In addition, we would be interested in meeting with companies providing innovative solutions for the industry.
Areas of opportunity with Ingalls Shipbuilding:
- Areas of opportunity with Ingalls Shipbuilding:
- Valves and Coordinated Shipboard Allowance List (COSAL)
- Electrical
- Propulsion
- HVAC/Outsourcing
- Deck Machinery
- Raw Materials
- Electrical Component Parts, Cable, Lumber, Fuels, Paint, Insulation
- Facility Services, Cranes, Construction Services, Consulting & Engineering, Information Technology Procurement, Post Delivery
- Bill of Material/Electrical
NASA – Stennis Space Center
Stennis Space Center (SSC) is NASA’s largest rocket engine test facility. Stennis is a unique federal city that is home to federal and state agencies, academic and private organizations, and numerous technology-based companies.
Federal agencies include:
Department of Defense
- Commander, Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command
- Naval Oceanographic Office
- Naval Research Laboratory
- Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School
- Navy Special Boat Team 22
- Navy Human Resources Service Center Southeast
Department of Commerce
- NOAA, NWS, National Data Buoy Center
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
- NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center
Environmental Protection Agency
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
- Gulf of Mexico Program
Department of Interior
- U.S. Geological Survey, Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility
NASA is seeking hi-tech companies that complement the missions of the federal agencies operating at Stennis Space Center. This includes technologies that developed for the Blue Economy that are relevant to the Aerospace Industry.
A growing area of interest is autonomous systems, which provide self‐operating and maintaining capabilities, reducing the burden of conducting operations.
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) – Stennis
CNMOC seeks innovative, agile partners who can offer cutting-edge solutions to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness and improve the collection, analysis, and dissemination of environmental and oceanographic data. This includes sensor and platform developers capable of integrating AI/ML capabilities, unmanned technologies, or advanced data analytics into existing METOC architectures. Additionally, CNMOC values small businesses and strategic partners that can deliver rapid prototypes, drive process efficiencies, and collaborate to address emerging maritime challenges—from undersea mapping and operational forecasting to climate resilience and naval readiness. Ultimately, CNMOC looks for vendors and suppliers who share a commitment to operational effectiveness, technological advancement, and the pursuit of mission-critical insights in support of Fleet and joint force operations.
USM’s Gulf Blue
Gulf Blue is seeking partnerships across a diverse range of sectors to support the growth and scaling of Bluetech startups, with a focus on enhancing ocean health, fostering economic development, and driving innovation. The organization is looking for small business partnerships to collaborate on providing critical resources and solutions that can accelerate growth. In addition, Gulf Blue aims to work with federal and state partners to create a robust framework for policy, funding, and support, ensuring these startups have the necessary backing. Partnerships with late-stage startups, academic institutions, and industry leaders are also essential, as Gulf Blue seeks to create a collaborative ecosystem that facilitates access to key technologies, research, and markets. By leveraging the Gulf of America as an innovation gateway, Gulf Blue intends to help these businesses scale faster through a faster route to potential customers, partners, and essential testing facilities.