Gov. Nathan Deal Monday announced the launch of the Georgia Defense Exchange, an interactive business development platform designed to assist Georgia businesses in finding new opportunities in Department of Defense contracting.

“From the Bell Bomber Plant during World War II to the NSA and U.S. Army Cyber Command in Augusta today, Georgia enterprises enjoy a storied history of fulfilling contracts for national defense,” Deal said. “Last year alone, defense contracts executed in Georgia were valued at $6.4 billion. These contracts provide significant opportunities for Georgia businesses and drive new development in local communities across the state. The GDX platform will allow us to equip companies with the tools they need to be competitive in acquiring DOD contracts while ensuring that this long-standing tradition continues in Georgia.”

GDX offers Georgia’s defense contracting community a one-stop data research and collaboration platform. The platform was designed to support businesses across a variety of industries with data visualizations, interactive dashboards, real-time DOD data and communication tools.

Lockheed Martin, Meggitt, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman are some of the largest defense contracts in Georgia. Additionally, more than $3 billion of Georgia’s defense contracts are related to services for maintenance, science and engineering, equipment and construction.

“We pride ourselves on maintaining the best business environment in the nation, and providing top-notch resources for our citizens,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “GDX levels the playing field, giving small businesses in Georgia the chance to know about and respond to the many defense contracting opportunities that are available.”

To develop GDX, GDEcD collaborated with The Simple VUE, an information technology and data analytics consulting firm in Atlanta, and the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Centers.