Research and opportunity
We examine how technical, economic, and institutional relationships shape industrial capability.
Our research spans engineering, manufacturing, acquisition, investment, finance, technology, and the arrangements among companies and government.
Deeper understanding informs better decisions and reveals opportunities for industrial development, collaboration, and intervention.
Research and publications
AICP Field Report No. 1 · DIFI research
Beyond the Obvious in Defense Production
How engineering choices, incentives, and more coherent arrangements expand American industrial base capacity.
Read the field report ↗
One finding from the report
In March 2026, the Army could produce 46,000 artillery projectile bodies per month but complete only 36,000 rounds because another stage constrained output. Planned expansion would shift the bottleneck back toward metal parts. Meanwhile, the Army's $469 million Mesquite facility had yet to produce a specification-compliant projectile body. The industrial constraint depended on the whole route, and it changed as the route developed.
Industrial Base Coherence
Talbot West's related doctrine examines how orders, investment, qualification, and shared bottlenecks shape the capacity of a production network.
Explore Industrial Base Coherence ↗Contribute to the inquiry
Experienced practitioners bring firsthand knowledge of the decisions, constraints, and opportunities our research examines.
We welcome participation from manufacturers, acquisition professionals, engineers, program leaders, researchers, investors, and others with relevant knowledge.
Contributors help frame questions, assess evidence, develop investigations, and explore practical opportunities. Their expertise helps shape the initiative itself.
Discuss research or collaborationAbout DIFI
DIFI is an initiative of the American Industrial Capability Project, convened by Talbot West.
AICP advances industrial understanding and collaboration across American industry. Talbot West contributes defense-industrial research, engineering expertise, and experience with complex industrial enterprises.