Emerging Tech Horizons

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons , recorded live at the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with General John Hyten, USAF (Ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and leader of Air Force Space Command. They discuss how emerging technology is transforming military operations and shaping the fut...

In this special joint edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Stephanie Halcrow and Mark Lewis explore the challenges of moving emerging technologies from development into real-world defense capabilities. Stephanie speaks with Sarah Pearson, Chief Strategic Officer at the Defense Innovation Unit, about DIU’s new Bridge program a...

In this special joint edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Stephanie Halcrow and Mark Lewis explore how emerging technologies are being developed, adopted, and brought into practical defense applications. Stephanie speaks with Jason Potter, former Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisitio...

As military missions become increasingly complex, the technologies, infrastructure, and sustainment capabilities needed to support them are evolving as well. From contested logistics and forward repair to predictive maintenance and  Artificial Intelligence (AI) ,  emerging technology  is changing how the defense  industrial base  supports military readiness. In this episode of  Emerging Tech Horiz...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with Jason Rathje, President of Public Sector at WebAI, about the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in defense. They discuss Jason’s experience connecting emerging technologies with the Department of Defense, from the Air Force Ventures prog...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with Frank Finelli, Senior Advisor at The Carlyle Group, about the role of capital markets in strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base. They discuss the challenges facing U.S. industrial capacity, mobilization, and vulnerable supply chains, including...

Building a stronger Defense Industrial Base is about more than adopting new technologies or changing acquisition policy. The processes organizations use to measure performance, manage risk, and continually improve their capabilities can play an important role in building a more productive, resilient, and innovative Defense Industrial Base . In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons , host Dr. Arun...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with Ruba Elbasha, Partner at Guidehouse, about the role of AI in transforming defense financial management. They discuss what it means to take a human-centered approach to AI, how organizations can align technology with their workforce, and why human judg...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Stephanie Halcrow speaks with Lt. Col. Jared 'CLiF' Bindl, Chief Innovation Officer at AFRICOM, about how the command is working to make innovation part of its day-to-day operations. They discuss AFRICOM’s approach to operationalizing innovation and how the command...

Biomanufacturing is rapidly expanding beyond traditional applications in food and medicine, with emerging technologies offering new possibilities for national security, military logistics, and supply chain resilience. In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons, host Sam Moyer, Research Fellow at the Emerging Technologies Institute, speaks with Maille O’Donnell, Policy Lead for Public Investment and...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with Grant Meyer, Chair of NDIA’s Electronics Division, about the role of microelectronics in the future of defense systems. They discuss the challenges of moving advanced commercial technologies from prototypes into practical defense capabilities, the imp...

In this special edition of Emerging Tech Horizons, recorded live from the Emerging Technologies Conference in Washington, DC, Mark Lewis speaks with Sarah Starr, a PhD student in Systems Engineering at George Washington University and an Army Reserve officer. They discuss the challenges of testing and evaluating multi-agent AI systems, the importance of appropriate human reliance and oversight, an...

Critical minerals form the foundation of modern defense and commercial technologies, from fighter aircraft and missile systems to satellites, batteries, and advanced electronics. As global supply chains remain vulnerable to disruption and critical mineral processing remains concentrated overseas, securing reliable access to these materials has become an increasingly important challenge for the U.S...

Emerging technology is reshaping how ships are designed, built, maintained, and sustained across the U.S. maritime industrial base.  As the U.S. Navy works to modernize its fleet and increase  shipbuilding production , shipbuilders are turning to  digital engineering, advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation, artificial intelligence (AI),  and new approaches to acquisition and workforce develo...

Emerging technology is rapidly transforming unmanned systems, aviation, and defense operations. As autonomous technologies evolve from prototypes into systems that can be produced and deployed at scale, industry is rethinking how these platforms are designed, manufactured, and integrated into next-generation defense technology and mission capabilities. In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons , D...

That challenge is at the center of the 2026 Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference & Exhibition (ETC) , taking place September 8–10 in Washington, D.C. In this special episode of Emerging Tech Horizons , NDIA's Jen Walsh, Director of Divisions, and Rachel Sutherland, Director of Public Relations and Communications, provide a preview of what attendees can expect at this year's con...

The U.S. has no shortage of  Emerging Technology and Defense Technology innovation , but getting that innovation into the hands of the  Warfighter  remains a challenge. As the pace of technological change accelerates, the  Department of Defense (DoD)  is rethinking how its research, development, and laboratory ecosystem can move faster and better connect  Emerging Technology  with operational need...

Modern warfare depends on the ability to rapidly integrate emerging technology , sensors, software, and autonomous systems into existing military platforms. Yet despite years of modernization efforts, systems integration and interoperability remain some of the Department of Defense's greatest challenges, slowing defense innovation and making it difficult to keep pace with rapidly evolving thre...

Cybersecurity has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the Defense Industrial Base. As advanced cyber threats, next-generation technologies, and evolving digital warfare reshape the security landscape, organizations must move beyond traditional approaches and adopt new strategies to protect critical defense technologies, critical infrastructure , and supply chains. In this episode of...

The FY27 National Defense Authorization Act reaches far beyond acquisition reform . It also reflects how Congress is shaping the future of defense technology , emerging technology , supply chains , and the federal workforce responsible for delivering the next generation of national security capabilities. In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons , Arun Seraphin continues his conversation with acqu...

The fight over the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is about far more than acquisition policy. It is a debate about who controls intellectual property, how the Defense Industrial Base deploys capital, and whether the Department of Defense (DoD) can attract the commercial innovators driving defense innovation and emerging technology . In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons , Arun S...

The Department of Defense (DoD)  has spent decades building programs to attract innovative small businesses and accelerate  emerging technology  into the  defense market . Yet according to former  Department of Defense (DoD)  Office of Small Business Programs Director Farooq Mitha, the department was still losing 3 to 5 percent of its small business  Defense Industrial Base  each year. The challen...

In this episode of  Emerging Tech Horizons , Dr. Arun Seraphin speaks with Bruce Friedrich, CEO and Co-founder of the Good Food Institute, about why alternative proteins and food  biomanufacturing  are emerging as strategic  biotechnology innovations. As  biotechnology  reshapes industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to manufacturing, advances in cultivated meat, precision fermentation, and plant...

Warfare is entering a new phase—where innovation happens in real time, and emerging technologies move from concept to deployment at unprecedented speed. At the 2026 Future Force Capabilities Conference, leaders across defense and industry explore what it takes to keep pace. Recorded live at the conference, Mary-Edens McAbee speaks with conference organizers and technology leaders working across mu...

Private capital is playing an increasingly visible role in the defense industrial base, but its impact depends less on the amount of money flowing in than on how effectively government demand shapes investment decisions. The central question for policymakers is not whether capital is available, but whether the system converts that capital into deployable capability.  In this episode, host Dr. Arun...