After the Presentation of Colors and National Anthem, join us for keynotes featuring defense, investment, energy resilience, and small business leadership.

Designed for those new to the DoW innovation space, learn about how the DoW enterprise works with research, business, and small business communities to address critical technology areas in support of the warfighter and national security. This roundtable of experts across DoW, federal agencies, and service providers will also take audience questions.

Government leaders from EMC² and the LEAN Power Network present the FY27 roadmap: consortium overview, BRFS highlights and success stories, best practices and funding mechanisms, and FY27 priorities including acquisition reform and modeling for operational relevance.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

In an increasingly interconnected world, secure and resilient communications are the backbone of national security, economic stability, and public safety. Investigations have revealed that adversarial actors are targeting commercial telecommunications infrastructure, compromising network security and sensitive communications. These incidents underscore the urgent need for secure and resilient communications to protect critical data and national security. Building resilience in these systems protects against disruptions caused by cyberattacks, natural disasters, or technical failures, while preserving operational continuity and public safety. This panel will explore the critical role of telecommunications and network infrastructure in maintaining reliable communication systems, as well as the indispensable function of Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services in supporting communications and network traffic. Experts from government and industry will discuss emerging threats, innovative solutions, and best practices for safeguarding these vital systems. Attendees will gain insight into the importance of robust infrastructure, the integration of advanced technologies, and the collaborative security efforts required to ensure the resilience of communication networks in the face of evolving hazards and threats.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Lifeline infrastructure, including energy, water, communications, transportation, and fuel systems, underpins national security, economic stability, and the continuity of communities before, during, and after disruptive events. As the frequency and complexity of natural hazards, cyber threats, aging infrastructure, and geopolitical disruptions continue to increase, there is a growing need for robust approaches to quantify infrastructure resilience and translate technical assessments into actionable decisions. This panel will bring together experts from national laboratories, academia, government, and industry to discuss emerging methods and tools for assessing the resilience of critical lifeline infrastructure. Panelists will explore advances in resilience metrics, probabilistic risk assessment, interdependency modeling, digital twins, geospatial analytics, artificial intelligence, and decision-support frameworks that improve understanding of infrastructure vulnerabilities, cascading failures, and recovery pathways. The discussion will highlight how quantitative resilience assessments can support infrastructure investment, emergency preparedness, system modernization, and national security planning while strengthening community continuity and long-term adaptability. Through case studies and interactive discussion, attendees will gain insights into current research, operational applications, and future priorities for measuring and enhancing infrastructure resilience across interconnected systems. The session will also examine opportunities for integrating resilience assessment into infrastructure planning, policy development, and public-private partnerships to better prepare communities and critical systems for an increasingly uncertain risk environment.

Join us for day one in the exhibit hall, featuring over 200 exhibitors, SBIR/STTR Agency Pavillion, and Expo Theater

Have a question about LEAN Power and current funding opportunities? Representatives from ATI, Crane Indiana, and Navy Op Energy will be available to speak with attendees on a first come, first serve basis. No appointments required or needed.

Visit with participaitng SBIR/STTR Federal Agencies and learn more about areas of interest for small businesses and universities.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

America's electric grid is foundational to national defense, yet the civilian utility grids that power defense critical military installations face growing threats: aging infrastructure, rapid load growth, and cyber-physical risk. The Defense Resilience Technical Assistance (DRTA) program, led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), brings coordinated multi-lab expertise directly to defense-serving utilities. From power quality and grid modernization to cybersecurity, digital assurance, and supply chain risk, this program meets utilities where they are and delivers support tailored to each utility's infrastructure, threat environment, and mission requirements. This session translates that capability into practice. Attendees learn what TA is available, how t has been applied, and how to apply for Technical Assistance and Training.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Small tech firms are advancing the frontier of AI and autonomous systems. Yet, autonomy in defense contexts is fundamentally different from the commercial market. Defense autonomy must be trusted, resilient, verifiable, and engineered for extreme and unpredictable environments; failure is not an option. This panel will explore how the defense ecosystem can work together to ensure dependable cutting‑edge autonomy. Key topics include how Small Business’ AI-related advancements change the battlefield; ethical and operational challenges in designing autonomous systems; and collaboration pathways between smalls, primes, and the DoW.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

The prevailing narrative within the defense engineering community laments a critical "cyber capability gap" among personnel managing operational technology (OT). This session argues that this diagnosis is fundamentally flawed. The defense enterprise does not suffer from a lack of tactical cyber expertise; rather, it suffers from a systemic deficit in mission integration and visibility. Facility engineers, cyber defenders, and mission commanders operate in siloed frameworks with deeply embedded infrastructure dependencies. This fragmentation carries severe strategic consequences. Without a unified operational picture, the true "Operational Blast Radius" of a cyber-physical failure is obscured, leading to artificially inflated readiness assessments that fail congressional Defense Readiness Reporting System (DRRS) mandates. By exploring consequence-driven dependency mapping, such as the DAF CROCS model and IEEE resilient frameworks, this paper reframes the objective of infrastructure security. It urges defense leadership and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) to abandon sole dependence on the panacea of superficial compliance checklists and universal cyber training. Instead, true mission assurance demands a paradigm shift toward "Mission Resilience" aligning market incentives with operational consequence to secure critical ecosystems that enable Mission Essential Tasks.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Adversaries are executing irregular warfare strategies that deliberately bypass fortified military perimeters, targeting the less-protected outside-fenceline critical commercial infrastructure (CCI) that supports them. When adversarial cyberattacks intersect with natural hazards, causing CCI failures and loss of critical services for military families, inside-fenceline mission essential functions stall. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) has developed a rapid, standardized Threat-to-Consequence (T2C) platform that leverages AI-enhanced OSINT distillation and multiple deep pedigree modeling engines to simulate cascading failures at the seams across these boundaries. Often capable of delivering mission-relevant insight in weeks rather than months, T2C provides military and civilian leaders with a predictive timeline of operational runway and multi-domain tipping points outside the fenceline to support rapid exercise, training, and wargame development, justify high-ROI investments, and ultimately create a common operating picture across key civilian and military stakeholders.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

As microgrids evolve to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), advancements at lower to mid TRLs are critical for meeting future demands and resilience requirements. This panel will delve into the latest developments in real-time controls, operational optimization, and power electronics, including AI integration and self-healing capabilities. This session will provide insights from the perspectives of industry leaders and national laboratories on the progress made and the challenges ahead. Join us to understand how these innovations are shaping the next generation of microgrids.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Raise a glass and network with attendees and exhibitors from all co-located events!

Meet and greet with 25+ Agencies in the SBIR/STTR Pavilions.

The poster session is strongly attended by both military and industry technology scouts seeking future solutions to their needs.

The Venture Zone is a dedicated networking space in the Expo Hall where conference attendees can connect directly with the venture capitalists participating in our Critical Technology Spotlights. The experience creates an informal, accessible environment for attendees to meet investors, continue conversations sparked by the Critical Technology Spotlight programming, and learn more about the technologies and opportunities attracting venture capital.

Join us for keynotes featuring defense, investment, and small business leadership.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

TAMs and funding sponsors present a brief BRFS overview: technical leads outline requirements and capability gaps, while sponsors explain what they seek and how solutions can be positioned for rapid acquisition and funding.

The electric grid is changing fast. Digitalization, distributed energy resources, AI-enabled technologies, and advanced communications are reshaping how utilities operate, while customer expectations shift alongside them. These changes bring new operational challenges that cut across traditional engineering disciplines. In this panel discussion, utility, industry, laboratory, and consulting experts unpack these trends and what they mean for day-to-day operations. Attendees will hear directly from practitioners navigating these issues now and will have a chance to weigh in on what matters most to them.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Solving the next generation of grid challenges requires new approaches to system design, operations, and collaboration. This interactive workshop focuses on practical strategies to strengthen data collection and system visibility, apply cyber-informed engineering principles, and use AI-assisted tools to improve operational awareness and decision-making. Participants will walk away with an understanding of concrete opportunities and next steps for strengthening resilience across critical infrastructure sectors.

Join us for day two (final day) in the exhibit hall, featuring over 200 exhibitors, SBIR/STTR Agency Pavillion, and Expo Theater

Have a question about LEAN Power and current funding opportunities? Representatives from ATI, Crane Indiana, and Navy Op Energy will be available to speak with attendees on a first come, first serve basis. No appointments required or needed.

Visit with 25+ participaitng SBIR/STTR Federal Agencies and learn more about areas of interest for small businesses and universities.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Energy sector organizations are increasingly evaluating whether cloud-delivered capabilities can support cybersecurity modernization, operational data analysis, and selected OT functions. This reflects changes in the technology market, the threat landscape, and the growing need to analyze OT data and monitor security across more complex environments. As organizations evaluate cloud-enabled capabilities, they must also manage shifting dependencies between themselves, cloud service providers, and technology providers, making clear cybersecurity roles, responsibilities, and risk management practices more consequential. To help sector organizations navigate these considerations, DOE CESER facilitated a multidisciplinary working group to develop the Energy Sector Cloud Cybersecurity Profile (the Profile). Organized around the NIST CSF, the Profile helps sector stakeholders manage shared dependencies and collaborate on secure cloud integration practices that support infrastructure hardening across energy sector operations. This session will introduce the Profile, explain why cloud is increasingly difficult to ignore in OT environments, what changes when cloud supports OT, how to balance opportunity and risk, and how organizations can apply the Profile to their cloud integration evaluations. The Profile will be available as a downloadable document and an interactive web-based tool.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Description coming soon.

Manufacturing systems and processes in particular have proved to be pervasively vulnerable to cyber attacks from sophisticated adversaries. Attacks are complex, non-linear, and rapidly evolving. The risks across all critical infrastructure sectors are growing at a staggering pace, and manufacturing has critical consequences of both enormous economic impact and existential national security impacts. Consequently, it is imperative to have improved visibility and control over manufacturing systems to achieve robust cyber and physical security countermeasures that broadly translate to the future transformation of manufacturing and supply chains networks. This session will discuss architectures that support integrated orchestration of individual manufacturing automation systems and the entire supply chain networks, to achieve local (per manufacturer) and global (network-wide) cybersecurity, intelligent efficiency, and product quality.

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Critical Technology Spotlights are designed to accelerate private-sector and defense-sourced technology solutions aligned with warfighter and national security problem-sets.

Raise a glass and network with attendees and exhibitors from all co-located events! This is the final day of the Expo!

Meet and greet with 25+ Agencies in the SBIR/STTR Pavilions. This is the last day of the Expo and Pavllion.

The Venture Zone is a dedicated networking space in the Expo Hall where conference attendees can connect directly with the venture capitalists participating in our Critical Technology Spotlights. The experience creates an informal, accessible environment for attendees to meet investors, continue conversations sparked by the Critical Technology Spotlight programming, and learn more about the technologies and opportunities attracting venture capital.

Resilience events cost utility customers billions of dollars every year. However, geographically-specific evaluation of the economic costs of widespread, long duration (WLD) interruptions, the benefits of mitigation technologies, and their incorporation into electricity planning is nascent. This panel discusses the latest advancements in measuring the economic impact of WLD power interruptions and methods to include these impacts in utility and public decision making. This LBNL-moderated expert panel will discuss how resilience valuation approaches can inform utility planning, regulatory analyses, and investment prioritization, based on the experiences of industry and academic experts. The session emphasizes applied discussion and engagement across interdependent lifeline sectors rather than standalone technical presentations. Interactive discussion and audience participation will explore how resilience objectives, investment priorities, and planning decisions may differ across utilities, regulators, and community stakeholders under varying hazard and operational conditions.

This session highlights the best accepted papers from the IEEE, featuring significant research and innovative solutions. The event brought together experts from around the nation to discuss the latest advancements in technology and engineering.

This work proposes a consequence-based engineering methodology that formally defines Cyber-Informed Engineering and evaluates cyber resilience from the perspective of physical outcomes rather than initiating events. Instead of analyzing specific attack paths, vulnerabilities, or threat actors, the approach begins by defining catastrophic system states and identifying the process variables that must remain constrained to prevent them. The dependencies required to maintain those constraints are then examined to determine whether any single trusted dependency can, through compromise, failure, or manipulation, drive the system across the catastrophic boundary. The methodology is motivated by the observation that the initiating event is often less important than the system's ability to tolerate that event without unacceptable consequences. By focusing on consequence prevention rather than compromise prevention, the approach treats compromise as a condition that must be survivable rather than a failure condition in itself. This shifts the engineering objective from protecting individual components to ensuring that catastrophic outcomes remain physically unreachable. A representative process-control example demonstrates the methodology and would act as a basis for interactive discussion regarding how this methodology could be applied to other domains, particularly that of electric power systems and other critical infrastructure sectors.

This session highlights the best accepted papers from the IEEE, featuring significant research and innovative solutions. The event brought together experts from around the nation to discuss the latest advancements in technology and engineering.

In this dynamic discussion, panelists will discuss strategies for ensuring critical and emerging technologies are developed into instrumentation and commercial products and platforms essential to our nation.

As the frequency, severity, and duration of extreme weather events continue to escalate, electric utilities and power providers face mounting pressure to grow capacity while maintaining reliable, affordable service under increasingly adverse climate conditions. In response, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE), in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has developed Resilience Guard — a comprehensive suite of risk management tools designed to help utilities predict, assess, and prepare for both imminent and long-term natural hazard threats. To demonstrate these capabilities, this session will guide attendees through two scenarios: (1) an imminent, high-category hurricane threatening utilities across the southeastern United States, and (2) a long-term extreme heat threat facing utilities in the western United States. These scenarios will illustrate how Storm-DEPART optimizes storm preparation and resource staging, how ACCLIMATE models the trajectory of sustained heat events and their infrastructure implications, and how Grid Hardening AI delivers practical, actionable mitigation guidance across both contexts. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how Resilience Guard's integrated capabilities — grounded in rigorous data science and predictive modeling — provide utilities with an end-to-end solution for assessing current and future climate risk and building resilient energy infrastructure systems.

This session highlights the best accepted papers from the IEEE, featuring significant research and innovative solutions. The event brought together experts from around the nation to discuss the latest advancements in technology and engineering.