Global Industrial Cooperation Association

What Global Industrial Cooperation Association does

The Global Industrial Cooperation Association (GICA) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1986 and headquartered at 3855 SW 153rd Drive, Beaverton, Oregon, USA. Originally established as the Global Offset and Countertrade Association (GOCA) and later rebranded to reflect a broader industrial cooperation remit, GICA operates as the primary global forum connecting government defence procurement authorities and aerospace & defence contractors to share best practices, policy updates, and lessons learned on industrial cooperation, offset, and partnership programs. The association claims a membership spanning at least 25 countries (including the USA, UK, Romania, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Netherlands, Japan, Korea, UAE, China, and others) and lists the UK Ministry of Defence, Romanian ARCTIS, South African dtic, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus Defence & Space, and Honeywell among its stakeholder community.

GICA's product surface centers on a rotating global conference program (Spring and Autumn events held in cities such as Lisbon, Chicago, Bucharest, and Cape Town), an annual membership program with Regular and Associate tiers, an on-demand webinar series, a mentorship program launched in 2025, and the annual GICA Legacy Award recognizing contributions to the field. The platform is a curated forum rather than a technology product: members access content via the gica.org member portal, quarterly newsletters, social channels (LinkedIn, X), and in-person events. Membership applications are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors, lending a selective, governance-led character to the community.

The business model is straightforward nonprofit association economics: recurring annual membership dues from corporate members (Regular and Associate tiers with undisclosed pricing) plus one-time conference registration fees and sponsorship. GICA is governed by a Board of Directors, operates with a small administrative staff of approximately 5 employees, has no parent company, no outside investment, and is not publicly traded. Notable historical milestones include its 1986 founding, the rebrand from GOCA to GICA, the 2025 launch of the mentorship program, and the 2025/2026 celebration of its 40th anniversary.

Name

Global Industrial Cooperation Association

Legal name

The Global Industrial Cooperation Association

Website

https://gica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Global Industrial Cooperation Association (GICA) is a 40-year-old nonprofit membership association headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, that convenes government defence procurement authorities and aerospace & defence contractors across 25+ countries to share best practices on industrial cooperation and offset programs through biannual conferences, webinars, and a mentorship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services (Defence Industrial Cooperation & Offset Programs)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Industrial cooperation
• Defense offset programs
• Membership association
• Industry conferences
• Knowledge sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Companies pay annual membership dues to join GICA. Regular or associate member status determines the level of access and benefits received.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue generated from conference registration fees for the GICA Autumn and Spring annual conferences, with industry ticket rates for participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Industrial Cooperation Association (GICA) is a nonprofit membership association that provides a forum for industry and government leaders to connect, share best practices, policy updates, and lessons learned for creating and implementing Industrial Cooperation and Partnership (offset) programmes. Its sellable offerings consist of an annual corporate membership programme (Regular and Associate tiers), twice-yearly international conferences (Spring and Autumn), an on-demand webinar series, and a mentorship programme for industrial cooperation professionals.

Product overview

GICA is a professional association providing a forum for industry and government leaders to connect and share best practices in Industrial Cooperation and Partnership programs. The organization operates as a platform with multiple service offerings including annual conferences (Autumn and Spring), a membership program with various benefits, an on-demand webinar series featuring industry experts, a mentor program for professional development, and an annual Legacy Award recognizing outstanding contributions to the field. The core offering is the conference program supplemented by membership services, educational content, and networking opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GICA Annual Conferences (Spring and Autumn) In-person international conferences held twice a year (Spring and Autumn) in rotating global locations (e.g., Lisbon 2026, Chicago 2024, Bucharest, Cape Town), bringing together government defence procurement officials and aerospace/defence industry participants for knowledge exchange and networking on industrial cooperation and offset programmes.
• GICA Corporate Membership Program Annual corporate membership programme with Regular and Associate tiers providing companies with access to conferences, webinars, networking events, mentorship, policy updates, and the broader GICA community of industrial cooperation professionals and government authorities.
• GICA Webinar Series On-demand educational webinar series covering topics such as offset policies, industrial cooperation frameworks, defence supply chain issues, and industry trends, available to members and (for select sessions such as the Supply Chain Webinar) to non-members via paid registration.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• British Defence Industry Association (BDIA): BDIA is a UK-based defence industry trade association. It is comparable to GICA as a defence-industry association connecting government and contractors, but with a narrower UK focus versus GICA's global footprint.
• Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA): DMA is a UK-based defence industry association representing manufacturing and supply-chain interests. It is comparable to GICA as a defence-industry membership association, though smaller and more regionally focused on UK supply chain rather than global offset policy.
• Association of the United States Army (AUSA): AUSA is a US-centric defence industry association hosting major conferences and networking events. It is comparable to GICA as a membership-based defence industry forum using conferences as a primary engagement mechanism, though focused on land warfare rather than offset policy.
• SMMT Industry Forum (UK): SMMT is the UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which runs Industry Forum programmes focused on manufacturing performance and supply-chain improvement. It is comparable to GICA as an industry-led association providing networking and best-practice exchange, though in automotive rather than defence.

Broad incumbents

• Aerospace Industries Association (AIA): AIA is the principal US trade association representing aerospace and defence manufacturers and is directly comparable to GICA as a member-driven industry forum engaging both prime contractors and government stakeholders. GICA is more narrowly focused on industrial cooperation/offset policy within the same defence industrial base.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): ICC is a global membership organization convening businesses and governments on trade, policy and standards. It is comparable to GICA as a long-standing international association operating at the intersection of industry and government policy, though at far greater scale and broader scope.
• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA): NDIA is a US-based defence industry association connecting government and industry. It is comparable to GICA as a membership-based forum servicing the defence industrial base, with overlapping government authority and prime contractor members.
• Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD): ASD is the European umbrella association for aerospace, security and defence industries. It is comparable to GICA as a regional industry association serving prime contractors and engaging policymakers, though broader in scope than GICA's offset/industrial cooperation focus.

Others

• Atlantic Council: Atlantic Council is a think tank engaging industry and government on transatlantic defence and economic policy. It is an adjacent peer to GICA as a convening body for defence-industrial stakeholders, though focused on policy thought leadership rather than operational offset cooperation.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): IISS is a global think tank and membership organization producing defence and security analysis. It is thematically related to GICA through shared defence-industry audience and member-supported research events, though its primary mission is geopolitical analysis rather than industrial cooperation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gica_global
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-offset-and-countertrade-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Industrial Cooperation Association