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 and federal agencies 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.

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.

New to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program? This session provides a foundational overview of how the programs work, who is eligible, and how funding can support research and commercialization. A great starting point for first-time applicants and those looking to better understand the programs.

Learn how participating federal agencies use SBIR/STTR to advance innovation and address critical mission needs. Through lightning reverse pitches, agencies will share their priorities and opportunities for innovators.

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.

The Energy on the Battlefield panel will bring together leaders from across the Department of War and Department of Energy for a fast-paced discussion on one of the most critical challenges facing the future force: how to generate, store, move and manage energy in contested environments. Drawing on firsthand experience from their organizations and the field, Kawa Amina, DIU; Cayle Bradley, DOE/ARPA-E; Matt Huffman, NSWC Carderock Division; Matt Sigstad, Department of the Air Force; and Captain Teddy Herrera, USMC Expeditionary Energy Office, will highlight the operational energy challenges they see today, the gaps that must be solved and the technologies that could reshape battlefield power tomorrow. From advanced batteries and expeditionary power to contested logistics, energy resilience and emerging technologies, the panel will offer candid perspectives on what the warfighter needs and where industry, government and innovators can make the greatest impact. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion and audience Q&A.

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 it 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.

New to SBIR and STTR and not sure where to start? Join us for a discussion with SBIR/STTR program leaders as they share information about how to figure out which agencies might be a good fit for your innovation, discuss how to position yourself to apply, share nuances between granting and contracting agencies, and more!

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.

Curious about what evaluators are looking for when reviewing SBIR and STTR submissions? Don't miss this session where Agency Program Managers will share insights into the evaluation process, common and avoidable mistakes, and tips on how to prepare a strong proposal.

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.

Join us for a panel discussion with federal partners to learn about the various programs and organizations across the country available to help you navigate your SBIR/STTR journey. Learn how you can get support for applying to SBIR/STTR solicitations, protecting your intellectual property, competing for contracts, and so much more!

SBIR/STTR-funded technologies already enhance our daily lives but getting a product made and into the hands of your customer is never easy. Join experts from across the federal government to learn about the programs and funding available to take your SBIR/STTR-technology from a prototype to a manufactured and sellable product.

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!

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

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

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, national security, and SBA leadership.

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 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 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.

Join us for an engaging discussion with SBIR/STTR-funded small businesses. Learn how they used federal funds and other resources to develop their technology and grow their business.

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.

Before making an SBIR or STTR award, federal agencies must evaluate whether a small business presents a foreign threat or research security risk. Join us for a discussion with experts on how to protect your innovation from foreign influence or exploitation and avoid deal killers that could stand between you and SBIR/STTR funding.

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.

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.

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.

The 2026 SBIR/STTR Reauthorization brought big changes to Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) resources. Join us for a conversation with SBIR/STTR program officials and TABA experts to better understand how you can leverage TABA funding to overcome business and technical challenges and further your commercialization journey.

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.

President Trump’s August 2026 memorandum, "Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial Base," set as new course to close capacity shortfalls in the shipbuilding industrial base including establishing a fifth public Navy shipyard – the first new public yard in more than 80 years. Consistent with previous Presidential direction, the Navy’s and shipyards’, both public and private, must be modernized with robotics and advanced manufacturing, to streamline construction, and enhance operational maintenance. These capabilities must be matched by the quick deployment of real-time AI to ingest and fuse data with existing enterprise PLM, ERP, HR, MES and scheduling solutions where Legacy datalake and “All-in-One” solutions will not meet the need. New technologies like the DigitalSea initiative can bridge the gap through open and extensible data fusion solutions. Representatives from automated shipyards will discuss how AI-Driven Digital Twins innovation and efficiencies can meet the Nation’s intent to enhance the maritime industry by connecting new and legacy systems now to improve the management and readiness of manpower, material, and resources, shortening maintenance times. These experts will discuss different approaches, lessons learn, and tactics that others can implement to accelerate their digital transformation efforts.

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.

We are opening up the floor to give you direct access to the DoW SBIR/STTR program managers who shape our defense innovation landscape. If you've ever wanted to ask a component rep what makes a proposal truly stand out—or how to cut through the red tape—this is your chance. Come prepared to ask questions and get the feedback your business needs to partner with the warfighter.

Because much of the Nation’s critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, infrastructure resilience requires strong public-private partnerships, trusted information sharing, and clear communication across critical infrastructure sectors. As cyber, physical, and supply-chain risks grow increasingly interconnected, organizations need robust, data-driven strategies to identify vulnerabilities, assess risk, and implement timely mitigation measures. The increasing complexity and connectivity of America’s critical infrastructure has heightened the urgency for these strategies to address new and emerging cyber risks. By identifying vulnerabilities, assessing risks, and implementing mitigation strategies through cross-sector collaboration, organizations can strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure environments and ensure uninterrupted operations. This panel will examine how industrial control systems projects generate and apply data to advance infrastructure resilience. Panelists will discuss how data can confirm infrastructure vulnerabilities, inform vulnerability management, and quantify risk across critical infrastructure sectors. Attendees will gain practical insight into how data-driven research, cross-sector collaboration, and iterative testing can proactively strengthen the cybersecurity posture of critical infrastructure resilience, inform future R&D priorities, and support national security by bringing together infrastructure owners and operators, government agencies, technology providers, and industry.

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.

Cities and public agencies are modernizing many of the same systems military installations rely on—including fleets, facilities, energy, infrastructure, public works, emergency response, water, mobility, and community services. This session explores how proven public-sector capabilities can translate into installation-support solutions for military bases and surrounding defense communities. The discussion will highlight Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) as a key enabler and examine how Sourcewell can help connect qualifying, technology-enabled solutions to installation needs through its IGSA framework, cooperative purchasing, category development, and supplier pathways. With an Army community partnership perspective, the panel will explore how installations and communities can identify shared challenges, adapt proven public-sector solutions, and scale practical innovation that strengthens readiness, resilience, and quality of life. The session is designed for Defense TechConnect attendees, startups, suppliers, city technology leaders, Smart Cities participants, and public-sector innovators interested in understanding how capabilities already being deployed across cities and public agencies can support military installations.

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 government is invested in supporting the success of your SBIR/STTR-funded technology. From government contracting, to private investment, to commercial markets, there are numerous paths to commercialization. This panel will convene federal experts to provide insights into how their agencies can support your commercialization journey.

The landscape of defense innovation has officially shifted. With the launch of the Strategic Breakthrough program, DoW is co-investing up to $30 million in mature dual-use technologies. Join this panel of Component Participants to discuss their differences in participation in the program.

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

Meet with Resilience Week Poster Presenters! Grab a drink ticket and check out the posters! Sponsored by Idaho National Laboratory and IEEE

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.

Gain insight into the role major primes play in acquisition programs and how R&D from other businesses transitions into those programs.

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.

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.

Learn about the latest SBIR/STTR program updates and hear directly from the SBA. This interactive session is your opportunity to ask questions and get guidance from program experts.

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.

Engage directly with SBIR/STTR agency representatives in this open Q&A session. Ask questions and gain insights into agency priorities, mission needs, and funding opportunities.