Heartland Maritime and Defense Innovation Forum

This summit represents a unique convergence of maritime tradition, academic excellence, and cutting-edge defense innovation. This event is specifically designed to welcome both established defense contractors and companies with no defense experience whatsoever. Whether you're seeking to understand defense funding opportunities, explore academic partnerships, or learn how to transition commercial technologies to defense applications, this forum and our panel of experts will provide the perfect entry point into the defense innovation ecosystem!

The timing provides a special opportunity for industry, academia, and servicemembers to engage around issues of national defense, creating authentic connections between current naval operations, emerging technologies, and future innovation needs across the full spectrum of defense capabilities.

• DoD personnel and defense acquisition professionals
• Regional economic development leaders

• Defense contractors and established defense technology companies
• Innovative companies from any industry seeking defense funding and academic partnerships
• Manufacturers, tech startups, and commercial businesses exploring defense opportunities
• Great Lakes maritime and unmanned systems stakeholders

• Venture capital and private equity professionals
• Innovation ecosystem leaders

• University researchers, faculty, and technology transfer officers
• Workforce development professionals and organizations

Building Regional Defense Synergies: Foster unprecedented collaboration between Ohio's Air Force-focused industrial ecosystem and Indiana's Navy-oriented defense capabilities, while leveraging the unique strategic advantages of the Great Lakes region for next-generation defense technologies.

Launching Tomorrow's Innovation Ecosystems: Introduce the groundbreaking Martime and Microelectronics Innovation Ecosystems, designed to accelerate the development and deployment of critical maritime, semiconductor, and unmanned technologies for national security.

Strengthening the Defense Workforce Pipeline: Address critical workforce challenges and opportunities across the Midwest defense industrial base, with particular focus on scaling capacity to meet emerging defense manufacturing and technology needs.

• Innovation Park at Notre Dame, 1400 E Angela Blvd, South Bend, IN 46617

12:00-1:00 PM - Welcome Lunch with Introduction and Keynote Address

1:00-2:00 PM - Panel 1: Anchors Aweigh: Rebuilding America's Maritime Industrial Might

• Focus: The critical imperative of re-domesticating U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and revitalizing our merchant marine fleet

2:00-3:00 PM - Panel 2: Unleashing Great Lakes & Midwest Unmanned Innovation

• Focus: Maximizing SBIR/STTR, OTA, and other government funding and R&D mechanisms to accelerate defense technology development

3:15-4:15 PM - Panel 3: Funding the Future: Non-Dilutive Capital for Defense Innovation

• Focus: Maximizing SBIR/STTR, OTA, and other government funding and R&D mechanisms to accelerate defense technology development

4:15-5:15 PM - Panel 4: The Innovation Triangle: Academia, Industry, and Defense Collaboration

• Focus: Best practices for accelerating technology transfer and commercialization through strategic partnerships

HMDIF Happy Hour: 5:30 - 7:30 - Place: Hank Family Forum - 8th Floor of Notre Dame Football Stadium (Overlooks Notre Dame Football Field!)

8:00 AM - Continental Breakfast, Innovation Park at Notre Dame

8:30-9:30 AM - Panel 5: Sovereign Power: Islanded Microgrids as the Foundation for Resilient Manufacturing and AI

• Focus: Utilizing islanded microgrids to deliver the power required to scale domestic expansion of critical industries and AI compute

9:30-10:30 AM - Panel 6: Beyond the Coasts: High-Value Microelectronics Opportunities for Heartland Innovation

• Focus: Identifying opportunities for the Midwest in microelectronics production, obsolescence & sustainment 3 years post-CHIPS Act

10:45-11:45 AM - Panel 7: Building the Arsenal of Democracy: Regional Workforce Capacity for Defense Manufacturing

• Focus: Addressing critical workforce challenges and scaling regional capacity to meet expanding defense manufacturing needs

12:00-1:00 PM - Lunch & Charting New Waters Presentation: Introducing the Maritime and Microelectronics Innovation Ecosystems

• Focus: Navigating the New Navy Innovation Landscape for Maritime & Microelectronics R&D, Production, and Sustainment

1:00-2:00 PM - Panel 8: Capital Convergence: Private Investment in Dual-Use Technologies

• Focus: How venture capital, private equity, and debt financing are approaching the defense technology landscape

The Heartleand Maritime and Defense Innovation Forum team reinforces our commitment to supporting educational institutions, Naval forces, and our Air Force partners in developing the technologies and workforce capabilities that will secure America's future.

Participants will leave with:

• Clear pathway for entering the defense market, including non-dilutive funding opportunities accessible to any company
• New partnerships and stronger connections across the Midwest defense industrial base and academic research community

Reach out today for more information: [email protected] -

P: 574-203-9050 X403

Registration Instructions:

Please answer as many of the questions you feel comfortable with answering, we are trying to guage the interest and metrics of everyone during this Collider. Ultimately this event will be followed with a larger event in the Spring of 2026. Your metrics will help us with the success of the Spring event.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Innovation Park at Notre Dame, 1400 East Angela Boulevard, South Bend, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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