Washington, DC (June 2 -4) - The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and a number of other DoD innovation organizations participated in the Strategic Competitive Studies Program (SCSP) Carter Exchange and AI Expo in Washington, DC.
A number of our DoD team members spoke on panels and shared insights on the demand signal coming out of DoD for the best of breed AI solutions, lowering barriers to entry to companies wanting to do business in the national security sector and coordinating/catalyzing across innovation ecosystem here in the U.S. and with our partners and allies. Our partners from the Navy and Air Force were also available at the booth to answer questions.
Along with DIU, these partners make up the Defense Innovation Community of Entities, or DICE. DICE coordinates and harmonizes internal DoD innovation activities to accelerate the development, procurement, and fielding of nontraditional capabilities. It is the coordination body for the broader DoD innovation ecosystem – involving about 30 active participants from across the DoD – including major military branches and key leadership teams. DICE is a force multiplier for aligning resources to national security priorities, turning innovative ideas into capabilities at scale.
Monday, June 2 to Wednesday, June 4, 2025
DIU Exhibit Booth - #522
Visit DIU and our partner defense innovation organizations (Army, AFWERX, ONR, CyberWorx) at booth #522 to energize your work with the DoD.
Details: June 2 - June 4 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET
Panels
Monday, June 2, 2025
Panel: Building Bridges to Operationalize Commercial Tech for National Security
Details: Monday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. ET , Walter E. Washington Convention Center, South Stage
Description: Join DIU and Google leadership for a deep discussion on the need for strategic partnership to shape the future of technology and address top priorities for the Department of Defense
Speakers:
Doug Beck, Director, DIU
Kent Walker, Global Affairs, Google
Andrew Sollinger, CEO, Foreign Policy Magazine
Panel: Securing the Future: EU, US, China Tech Relations
Details: Monday, June 2, at 12:45 p.m. ET, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 209C
Description: The transatlantic alliance risks falling behind in the global AI race as US-EU protectionism empowers China, tilting the balance of power. How can the allies work together to shape a new digital and economic order?
Speakers:
H.E. Jovita Neliupšienė, Ambassador, European Union Delegation to the U.S.
Alina Polyakova, President and CEO, Center for European Policy Analysis
David Rader, Strategic Advisor (CTR), DIU
André Loesekrug-Pietri, Chairman, Joint European Disruptive Initiative
Panel: Delivering Defense Innovation
Details: Monday, June 2, at 3:05 p.m. ET, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Exchange Stage
Description: Join DIU and Google leadership for a deep discussion on the need for strategic partnership to shape the future of technology and address top priorities for the Department of Defense.
Speakers:
Doug Beck, Director, DIU
Courtney Albon, Reporter, Defense News
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Panel: AI & Autonomy: Accelerating Decision Advantage for the U.S. Navy
Details: Tuesday, June 3, at 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET, Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Room 209AB
Description: As global threats grow more dynamic and data-driven, the U.S. Navy is embracing AI and autonomy to gain a decisive edge in future conflicts. From predictive maintenance to autonomous systems and mission planning, AI is rapidly transforming how the Navy prepares for and executes operations. This session will explore how naval data science teams are operationalizing AI at scale to streamline workflows, and rapidly deploy models to the edge.
Speakers:
Artem Sherbinin, Program Manager, U.S. Navy
Alex Campbell, Maritime Portfolio Lead and Chief of Staff, DIU
Joel Meyer, President of Public Sector, Domino
Whitney McNamara, SVP, Beacon Global Strategies
Panel: Future of Aerospace
Details: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, South Stage
Speakers:
Juan de Bedout, CTO, RTX
Liz McNally, Director, Commercial Operations, DIU
Rob Geckle, Chairman & CEO of Airbus Space & Defense U.S.
Brandi Vincent, Pentagon Correspondent, DefenseScoop
Description: A big-picture discussion on the future of aerospace, bringing critical insight into how the Department of Defense is accelerating next-generation aerospace capabilities through commercial and defense partnerships.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Panel: Operational AI Integration: DoD Network Panel
Details: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 2:05 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, North Stage
Description: The Department of Defense stands at a critical juncture in operationalizing artificial intelligence across missions and domains. While industry accelerates AI innovation—particularly in foundation and frontier models—the Department continues to face systemic challenges in adoption and integration. This panel brings together leaders from service-level innovation organizations to discuss the near-term priorities and structural reforms necessary to accelerate responsible AI integration into the hands of the warfighter.
Speakers:
Moderator: Sarah Pearson, Deputy Director, Commercial Operations, DIU
Nathaniel Bastian, Program Manager, DARPA
Tom Horan, AI Portfolio Director, DIU
Victor Lopez, Chief of Autonomy Operations, AFWERX
Lindsey Sheppard, Director Advanced C2 Accelerator, Chief Digital and AI Office
LtCol Jack Long, Deputy to Navy Chief AI Officer, Office of Naval Research