Montana State University has been named a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) OnRamp Hub by the U.S. Department of Defense, a designation that will strengthen MSU’s ability to help scale commercial technologies for national security. The new hub connects MSU’s advanced research facilities and expert faculty with companies developing innovations that may benefit the Department of Defense.

Leif Ibsen, managing director of MSU’s DIU OnRamp Hub, said the designation brings powerful new opportunities to the state. “The DIU OnRamp Hub brings together Montana State University, researchers, and the private sector to collaborate … in ways that can drive innovation, economic growth, and national impact,” he said. The hub will help companies identify how their products fit DoD needs and ensure they reach the right decision-makers.

MSU President Brock Tessman noted the alignment with the university’s mission. “The OnRamp program will connect the state-of-the-art facilities MSU has in place for classified defense research and our talented faculty and researchers with opportunities to strengthen America’s national security,” he said.

The designation also opens the door to significant funding. Todd Daniels, associate director of MSU’s MilTech, highlighted the scale of opportunity: “Last year, DIU’s budget in this area was around $983 million … It opens doors directly to the activity that the DIU is doing for Montana to engage with the Department of Defense.”

MSU’s Innovation Campus, including the EngineWorks facility, will play a key role in supporting collaboration. “We’re going to support DIU by providing them a world-class facility and an ecosystem that can help support the mission,” said Mark Sharpe, the campus’s executive director.

Alison Harmon, MSU’s vice president for research and economic development, emphasized the statewide impact: “The DIU OnRamp can be a source of economic development for all of Montana, bringing together MSU researchers and students, Montana’s thriving tech sector, and businesses throughout the region.”

Montana joins Kentucky and Minnesota as new DIU OnRamp Hub states, alongside existing hubs in Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio, and Washington.

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