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More than 350 leaders from across the country will convene in Hampton Roads, Virginia this fall at the Ironclad Maritime Summit to address one of America's most pressing economic and national security imperatives: rebuilding the maritime industrial base.The summit will be held Oct. 27, 2026, at The Main in Norfolk, followed by field tours Oct. 28 of the shipyards, companies and industrial facilities in the region that form the backbone of American sea power.
Registration is now open, seating is limited, and sponsorship information is available at IroncladMaritime.com.
Hosted in partnership by Standard & Works, the Hampton Roads Alliance and the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Navy League of the United States, Ironclad will bring U.S. Navy leadership, shipbuilding executives, defense innovators, investors, policymakers and workforce leaders into the same room to lead candid conversations about strengthening American sea power — and expanding the industrial capacity required to sustain it.
The summit will explore five central themes:
• Rebuilding the maritime industrial base: Strengthening shipbuilding capacity, supply chains and the broader maritime industry to support a new generation of carriers, submarines and commercial vessels.
• Maritime autonomy, AI and the next naval battlefield: Examining how unmanned platforms, robotics and artificial intelligence are reshaping naval operations above and below the surface.
• Workforce, robotics and the talent pipeline: Expanding skilled-trades training, veteran-transition programs and the use of robotics and advanced manufacturing to meet growing maritime production demands.
• Capital deployment: The race to deploy capital across venture capital, private equity, opportunity zones and Pentagon dealmaking channels.
• Global shipbuilding and allied production: Exploring AUKUS, NATO and the international production networks strengthening global sea power.
Attendees will include shipbuilders; prime contractors and suppliers; emerging defense technology companies; venture capital and private equity investors; congressional and Pentagon leaders; skilled-trades training providers; veteran organizations; and other partners working to strengthen the maritime industrial base.
The summit's location carries both strategic and historic significance. Hampton Roads is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval station; HII's Newport News Shipbuilding, the nation's sole designer and builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two builders of nuclear-powered submarines; major public and private shipyards; U.S. Fleet Forces Command; NATO's Allied Command Transformation; and an extensive network of maritime manufacturers, suppliers and training institutions.
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Event venue
Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN, 100 E. Main St,Norfolk,VA,United States
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