From innovation to award: navigating the new regulatory landscape for defense startups. The U.S. government faces a stark paradox: it is desperately hungry for innovation yet constrained by a regulatory framework designed for a Cold War industrial base. This tension defines the current reality for startups and foreign technology firms attempting to enter the U.S. defense market. According to Louverture Jones, Senior Director at Alvarez & Marsal Trade and Technology, speaking at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando, the era of entering the defense industrial base with a promising prototype and sorting out compliance later is over. Jones shared key insights during his session: * The compliance window has closed: acquisition professionals now require suppliers to arrive "compliance-ready," and non-compliance means award delays of 12 to 24 months. * Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) is the top threshold for foreign-invested entities: companies must map their capitalization tables early and may need separate subsidiaries, proxy agreements, or restructured investor rights. * Export controls (ITAR and EAR) require early product portfolio mapping: modifying a commercial technology for military use can trigger ITAR restrictions, and misaligned staffing authorizations can derail awarded contracts. * CMMC 2.0 is non-negotiable for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): retrofitting later is costly, so "compliance by design" from the start is the only viable path. * Regulatory navigation is a competitive advantage: organizations that treat compliance as a strategic asset - not a barrier - will win in the modern defense market. "Compliance readiness is not just about winning awards," Jones said. "It is about speed." Lawrence Bernard is a science writer with more than two decades of experience making complex research, science, and technology accessible to broad audiences. Formerly a science journalist covering the U.S. space program, he was a communications director for a U.S. Department of Energy national research laboratory, and contributed to research communications for other national labs and for biotechnology. He also led communications programs at several universities.

J.S. Held appoints Irvinder Singh Lail as Head of Global Capability. J.S. Held, a global consulting firm, has announced the appointment of Irvinder Singh Lail as Head of Global Capability. In his new role, Irvinder will work to advance the firm's global operating model by formalising how J.S. Held organises and deploys expertise across regions, enhancing service delivery, and expanding capacity for the firm's experts. Irvinder will support the continued development of J.S. Held's global service model, strengthening how the firm coordinates work across time zones to access and mobilise the right experts for complex, time-sensitive matters. The firm currently operates with teams in multiple geographies that support around-the-clock client service. His mandate is to formalise the model by expanding centres of expertise, standardising shared platforms, and scaling the infrastructure needed to support the firm's continued growth. He will work alongside Jessica Larson, Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation, helping align global resourcing strategies with the firm's investments in advanced technology. He brings more than 25 years of experience across the professional services, technology, banking, financial services, and insurance sectors. Irvinder joins J.S. Held from Alvarez & Marsal, where he was responsible for building multiple capabilities and verticals for its Global Capability Center. Prior to that, he was Senior Director - Global Business Services & Office Head India at Bain & Company. He was also a Director - Financial Services Advisory | Africa - India - Middle East at EY. Lee Spirer, President and Chief Executive Officer of J.S. Held, said, "The next phase of J.S. Held's growth depends on how deliberately Reinsurance Group build the firm, focusing not just on where Reinsurance Group operate but on how its teams connect across regions to serve clients as one organisation. "Irvinder brings the experience to further develop the operational system behind our global model and to identify and source the specialised talent that extends the reach of our expert teams." "Human capital and digital capability are two sides of the same equation," said Larson. "As we scale automation and AI-enabled workflows across the firm, Irvinder's work will ensure that our talent strategy expands in step, so that people and technology advance together rather than on separate tracks. I look forward to partnering with him to accelerate both." "The response we have already seen from prospective team members and from clients reinforces the market opportunity in front of us," Spirer added. "Irvinder's appointment reflects continued momentum in how J.S. Held builds for the clients who rely on us for high-stakes work."