A distinguished panel of commercial drone companies provide perspectives on the opportunities and challenges in developing drone technology for the DOW.

Learn where AI has been deployed in OT environments and what needs to be considered when deciding to implement it.

A distinguished panel of commercial drone companies provide perspectives on the opportunities and challenges in developing drone technology for the DOW.

All critical infrastructure asset owners need to implement basic cybersecurity measures, to include managing supply chain risk. But there are a lot of standards and guidelines out there, and different types of critical infrastructure are increasingly interconnected. The definition of Defense Critical Electric Infrastructure (DCEI) by congress in 2015 and the definition of the Energy Sector Industrial Base by the Department of Energy in 2022 offer an example of two critical infrastructure sectors intersecting. Energy Sector asset owners are familiar with NERC-CIP compliance. CMMC, founded in the Department of Defense and the Defense Industrial Base, is a cyber certification model that is maturing and expanding across federal agencies and into other countries. How do these different cyber compliance regimes intersect, and can they complement one another? This expert panel will compare both compliance regimes, discuss how they increasingly intersect, and provide insights into the future evolution of cybersecurity compliance.

As the fear associated with extreme weather intensifies, the electric grid faces mounting threats from wildfires, polar plunges, hurricanes and tornadoes, and shifting demand patterns. Yet, a growing debate questions whether current resilience planning is grounded in science or driven by regulatory and political pressure. This panel will explore the technical tensions surrounding grid adaptation—drawing from recent strategies of utility planning, DOE guidance, and industry responses.

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 today’s defense environment, mission readiness and military wellbeing rely on more than equipment or training -they depend on the condition and responsiveness of the environments where service members live, work, and train. This session explores how military installations are leveraging Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) to rapidly address infrastructure challenges and unlock new opportunities for innovation. From mold remediation to smart barracks modernization, IGSAs are enabling installations to deliver timely, compliant, and impactful improvements that directly affect the health, morale, and performance of the force. Installation leaders are collaborating with innovative government partners like Sourcewell and industry partners like Johnson Controls to bring forward-thinking solutions - like smart building systems and rapid facility upgrades - into the heart of mission operations.

In today’s defense environment, mission readiness and military wellbeing rely on more than equipment or training -they depend on the condition and responsiveness of the environments where service members live, work, and train. This session explores how military installations are leveraging Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) to rapidly address infrastructure challenges and unlock new opportunities for innovation. From mold remediation to smart barracks modernization, IGSAs are enabling installations to deliver timely, compliant, and impactful improvements that directly affect the health, morale, and performance of the force. Installation leaders are collaborating with innovative government partners like Sourcewell and industry partners like Johnson Controls to bring forward-thinking solutions - like smart building systems and rapid facility upgrades - into the heart of mission operations.

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.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in collaboration with the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Virginia (UVA), is advancing a toolset to evaluate watershed-level resilience across USACE operational projects. This features the characterization and management of infrastructure interdependencies within and beyond USACE operations in achieving regional and systems resilience. This special session will feature a panel that explores conceptual frameworks and practical tools for identifying and analyzing these interdependencies. Dr. Michael Deegan (USACE) will open by providing an overview of infrastructure interdependencies between USACE projects and other critical infrastructure systems. Negin Shamsi (UGA) will then discuss different classifications of infrastructure interdependencies and highlight available assessment tools. Dr. Davis C. Loose (UVA) will introduce a prototype screening tool alongside a case study to demonstrate mapping infrastructure interdependencies within a specific basin. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion aimed at fostering a bidirectional exchange of ideas between panelists and audience members. This interactive format is intended to encourage new ideas for assessing resilience and infrastructure interdependencies at the watershed scale.

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.

The inaugural Drone Dominance Innovation Challenge, sponsored by VLC and ATI, features breakthrough innovations with a focus on operational utility, scalability, and rapid deployment. The top 3 ranked innovators will share a prize of $50K.

America’s ability to compete globally depends on how effectively we move breakthrough technologies from research and development labs into real-world markets. SBIR and STTR programs play a critical role in de-risking early research, however, many U.S. deep-tech companies struggle during the transition from TRL 3–7 (the “valley of death”) where technical validation must meet commercial traction, manufacturing readiness, and investor expectations. This panel gives early-stage deep-tech entrepreneurs a clear roadmap for moving from SBIR-funded research to real traction. Experts from the Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), Army FUZE, and a critical technology-focused (SBICCT) early venture investment manager, AE Industrial Partners—AE Ventures, break down how to win early non-dilutive funding, secure first pilots or DoW demo opportunities, avoid common TRL 3-7, and understand what investors look for at the earliest stages. Founders will leave with practical guidance on how to turn prototypes into pilots—and pilots into investable companies with an emphasis on how federal R&D, commercialization support, and private capital form a true innovation continuum.

This panel discussion will focus on the best practices for safely, reliably, and resiliently running AI/ML models in a critical production environment. Learn what questions you should be asking in order to best prepare yourself for operating your models on a live, continuous basis. From technical aspects such as understanding how to measure and detect model drift over time, to organizational challenges like integrating the model analysis results and awareness of key AI security and operational risks into your existing business processes, you will discover key strategies to successfully operationalize your AI/ML models.

Extreme weather poses significant risks to critical infrastructure operations. However, the uncertainties associated with these events pose even more challenges to energy planning activities that are looking out 5 to 50 years into the future. This session will feature insights from planners across academia, industry, and national laboratories. The discussion will cover the largest challenges observed from each distinct perspective and how extreme weather risk is currently being incorporated into integrated energy system planning efforts.

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

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

The inaugural Drone Dominance Innovation Challenge, sponsored by VLC and ATI, features breakthrough innovations with a focus on operational utility, scalability, and rapid deployment. The top 3 ranked innovators will share a prize of $50K. Join us as we announce the top 3 award winners!

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.

This panel presents a holistic cybersecurity approach to address the vulnerabilities arising from the rapid expansion of solar and other grid-connected resources. From an OT perspective, panelists will discuss different cybersecurity defense techniques that rely on analyzing grid behaviors (e.g., physics-based signal analysis, data signature analysis). Additionally, machine learning and artificial intelligence will be examined as key tools for real-time anomaly detection within the wide area network. From an IT perspective, the panel will discuss the use of cyber-physical co-simulations to realistically model grid operations while considering transmission-distribution-grid edge coordination and network artifacts. These simulations can help validate detection methods against simulated cyber-attack scenarios, ensuring robust, adaptable solutions. Finally, the panel will highlight the use of practical cybersecurity checklists that can be used by installers to secure grid devices. This checklists are based on regulatory standards, industry practices, and installer feedback. This systematic guidance enhances operational security through the adoption of best practices (firmware updates, credential management, and network segmentation). An interactive discussion with the audience will follow, highlighting the need to improve upon existing practices, and how collaboration is key for success.

As the energy sector becomes increasingly digitized, the explosion of machine-to-machine connections—now vastly outnumbering human ones—has introduced a new frontier of cybersecurity challenges. This session dives into the convergence of cloud, wireless, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-agent technologies in modern grid security, unpacking how Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and AI technologies can be used both to secure critical infrastructure and to defend against the very AI systems being deployed within it. Experts from national laboratories, utilities, and industry will present cutting-edge research and field deployments that integrate Zero Trust principles—such as continuous authentication, least privilege access, and micro-segmentation—with AI/ML techniques for real-time anomaly detection, behavior modeling, and autonomous threat response in operational technology (OT) environments. A special focus will be placed on the unique challenges of securing non-human machine identities and communications, where traditional access control methods fall short. The session will also feature a case study from a DOE-funded collaboration with Constellation, showcasing how a Zero Trust framework for machines has been successfully deployed across the largest fleet of nuclear plants in the U.S. Attendees will gain insight into the evolving regulatory landscape, risk management frameworks, and public-private R&D initiatives that aim to future-proof the grid against sophisticated cyber threats.

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.

Visit with participating SBIR/STTR Federal Agencies and Defense Primes to discuss funding opportunities for small businesses and universities

View the posters and raise a glass to the poster presenters! Complimentary drink tickets will be available.

Participants in the Workshop will leave with an understanding of the requirements and knowledge of and access to tools that they can use to meet the obligations to protect the DoD information they will either receive or generate as part of the SBIR process.

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.

Getting smart city projects off the ground often depends less on the technology itself and more on the process behind how it’s purchased. Traditional procurement can slow down innovation, but cities are finding new ways to streamline, collaborate, and align purchasing with long-term goals. This workshop will explore practical approaches to “smart procurement,” from building stronger partnerships with vendors to creating flexible frameworks that keep pace with rapid change. Participants will walk away with strategies, tools, and examples they can apply right away to make procurement a driver—rather than a barrier—of innovation.

As cities pursue smart and sustainable futures, small businesses remain the core of economic resilience—yet often the last to benefit from digital transformation. This hands-on workshop helps city leaders, chambers, nonprofits, and innovation partners identify where they are in their digital journey and build collaborative strategies that make technology work for everyone. Participants will explore HUUB’s Right Tool, Right Time framework alongside the new Digital Capacity Diagnostic—a practical tool that aligns local capacity, partnerships, and readiness with appropriate technology pathways. Through real-world case studies, peer discussion, and structured exercises, attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to balance quick wins with long-term investments, and a roadmap on how to implement human-centered, automated digital tools for impactful small business support.