Center for the Industrial Base

Reimagining government-industry collaboration to foster innovation, build capacity, and achieve victory.

CSIS’s Center for the Industrial Base (CIB), formerly the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group (DIIG), provides impactful research on the ways in which the United States and its allies can collaborate more effectively with industry of all types and build their respective industrial bases. The center primarily focuses on 1) DOD and federal industrial base challenges, 2) government contracting trends in defense, civilian agencies, and international markets, 3) industry-government collaboration, and 4) international industrial cooperation. CIB monitors important developments in the global defense industry and produces major research projects and long-form reports; commentaries and articles in popular media; and annual conferences and livestream roundtables.

About the Center for the Industrial Base

Learn more about the CSIS Center for the Industrial Base and the experts and staff that contribute to our analysis.

Jerry McGinn
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Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

What SBA’s New Size Standards Could Mean for Small Businesses

The Small Business Administration has announced changes to its standards of what constitute a “small business,” allowing larger firms to access contracts, lending, and other opportunities reserved for small businesses. This Critical Questions analysis explores the new changes’ impact on competition, innovation, and existing small businesses in the federal contracting marketplace.

Critical Questions by Jerry McGinn and Oliver Buntin — September 8, 2026

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From Partners to Producers: U.S.-Australia Defense Cooperation

On this episode of All About the Base, Dr. Jerry McGinn speaks with Ms. Belinda Templeman, Australia’s Minister-Counsellor for Defence Materiel, about the growing integration of the U.S. and Australian defense industrial bases, from AUKUS and critical minerals to co-production, supply chains, and building greater allied industrial resilience.

Event — October 5, 2026

U.S. and Allied Burden Sharing: A Progress Report

On this episode of All About the Base, Dr. Jerry McGinn discusses trends in defense spending and procurement across U.S. allies in Europe and East Asia, as well as joint efforts to manufacture munitions, sustain weapons systems, and stabilize critical supply chains. 

Event — September 8, 2026

Redesigning UK Defense Procurement for the AI Era

Faster procurement processes are not the same as procurement designed to handle AI. This brief sets out six recommendations to equip the UK Ministry of Defence as an intelligent customer of AI, align contracts with how AI actually works, and grow a trusted supplier and assurance market.

Brief by Di Cooke — September 8, 2026

U.S. and Allied Burden Sharing: A Progress Report

Allies are spending more, building stronger defense industries, and deepening cooperation—but the next era of burden sharing will depend on collective industrial capacity, not just defense budgets.

Report by Jerry McGinn and Celia Barrie — September 8, 2026

What SBA’s New Size Standards Could Mean for Small Businesses

The Small Business Administration has announced changes to its standards of what constitute a “small business,” allowing larger firms to access contracts, lending, and other opportunities reserved for small businesses. This Critical Questions analysis explores the new changes’ impact on competition, innovation, and existing small businesses in the federal contracting marketplace.

Critical Questions by Jerry McGinn and Oliver Buntin — September 8, 2026

Strengthening Australia's Weapons Sustainment Ecosystem

On this episode of All About the Base, Dr. Jerry McGinn unpacks the issue of resilience in the Pacific and ways to improve Australia's sustainment ecosystem with Mr. Jed Royal, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.

Event — August 31, 2026

How Quickly Can the DOD Rebuild and Recast the Munitions Industrial Base?

The U.S. munitions industrial base should be rebuilt and recast for modern wars of precision and attrition. What is a realistic timeline for this goal? By analyzing DOD budget documents and industry announcements, this analysis provides a clearer picture of the planned future.

Commentary by Jerry McGinn and A.J. Dilts — August 25, 2026