Defense Investment Forum

Defense Investment Forum

Ensuring Maritime Supremacy Through Innovation

To Register as an attendee, click here

To Register as an exhibitor, see below

Opening Event & Welcome Reception, University of Rhode Island (URI), Bay Campus

2:00PM-6:30PM, October 27

The URI Bay Campus is home to URI’s highly acclaimed Department of Ocean Engineering and the Graduate School of Oceanography providing multiple opportunities to partner with faculty and students.  The newly opened 32,000-square foot Ocean Robotics Laboratory (ORL) is a shared facility designed to develop, test and deploy next-generation maritime technologies while the recently renovated Pier provides access for in-water field testing and validation. 

The campus is also home to the Ocean Technology Center, a 10,000- square foot business incubator and entrepreneurship hub. 

Join us for a fireside chat, take a tour and wrap up the afternoon with a networking reception all while exploring ways to collaborate with the University of Rhode Island’s research and innovation community—from research partnerships and technology licensing to access to specialized facilities.

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM Networking

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM Welcome Remarks

Pete Rumsey, Executive Director, URI Research Foundation

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Fireside Chat, tech commercialization at URI.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Tour of URI Marine Robotics Laboratory and the Ocean Technology Center

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Networking Reception

Defense Investment Forum ’26, Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, RI (Room Block Information Here)

8:00AM-6:30PM, October 28, 2026

The Defense Investment Forum is dedicated to exploring geopolitical developments, emerging technologies, and capital trends shaping the future of maritime defense. Bringing together investors, naval and maritime industry leaders, government stakeholders, founders, and strategic partners, the forum serves as a platform for high-level discussion on emerging opportunities across autonomous systems, subsea technologies, maritime cybersecurity, dual-use innovation, ocean surveillance, resilient supply chains, and next-generation defense infrastructure.

Through keynote presentations, investor panels, startup showcases, and strategic networking sessions, the forum examines how geopolitical shifts, naval modernization, and the evolving security landscape are driving investment and innovation throughout the maritime defense ecosystem.

Registration is opening soon and will be limited to participants from AUKUS countries (Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States) and Canada.

Agenda

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM Welcome Remarks & Conference Overview

Molly Magee, CEO, Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC)

Toby Stapleton, PhD, Director, Blue Venture Forum, Inc.

9:10 AM – 9:30 AM Opening Keynote

Senator Jack Reed, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Speaker: The New Era of Maritime Competition

This keynote will explore how geopolitical rivalry, contested sea lanes, and rapid technological change are reshaping naval strategy and investment priorities. The session will examine the intersection of national security, innovation, and industrial capacity.

Gloria Berlanga, Associate Vice President, Business Development, Defense Sector, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM Panel Discussion: Below the Surface and Beyond the Norm: How Evolving Maritime Threats are Accelerating Ocean Tech Innovation

Panel Description

National security challenges in the global commons are shifting faster than traditional naval procurement can handle. This panel explores the urgent geopolitical pressures that are forcing a new era of maritime defense. Panelists will discuss how these acute threats are driving rapid dual-use innovation and attendees will learn how military-industry partnerships are pivoting to deploy scalable, attritable tech before adversarial capabilities outpace our situational awareness.

Moderator:

Gloria Berlanga, Associate Vice President, Business Development, Defense Sector, Rhode Island Commerce

Panelists:

Vic Ricci, Principal Director, USW Innovation and Strategic Alliances, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport

Chris Weeks, Director of Programs, Saab, Inc.

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM Networking Break & Exhibit Hall Demos

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Panel Discussion: Rebuilding the Naval Industrial Base

Panel Description

Naval readiness increasingly depends on the resilience and scalability of the industrial base. This panel examines how our Navy can modernize maritime production capabilities while addressing workforce shortages, supply chain vulnerabilities, and aging infrastructure.

Moderator: Nate Walton, Principal, Sachem Strategies

Panelists:

John Griffin, VP Defense Strategy and Growth, Edison Chouset Offshore Companies

Dr. Aaron Birt, CEO, Solvus Global

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Networking Lunch (Downstairs Ballroom)      

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Panel Discussion: Dual-Use Innovation: Bridging Commercial and Defense

Panel Description

Commercial technology companies are increasingly shaping the future of defense capability. This conversation explores how startups can successfully transition from commercial markets into national security applications while navigating procurement complexity, regulatory constraints, and operational requirements.

Moderator: Abbey Fabian, Strategic Technology Teaming and Transitions Lead, Raytheon

Panelists:

Daniel Ateya, Managing Director, RTX Ventures

Pete Rumsey, Associate Vice President, Economic Development Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Leslie-Ann McGee, Chief Innovation Officer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM Flashtalk Presentations

Selected startups will present their breakthrough technologies addressing naval operations, logistics, ISR, cyber defense, and autonomous systems.

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM Networking Break

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Panel Discussion: Where Defense Capital Is Moving

Panel Description

Investors across venture capital, private equity, sovereign wealth, and institutional finance are rapidly increasing exposure to defense and strategic technologies. This session provides a market-level view of where capital is flowing, valuation trends, and which sectors are attracting the strongest interest.

Moderator: Hope Hopkins, Executive Director, New England Venture Capital Association

Panelists:

Kyle Asman, Managing Partner, Backswing Ventures

Ryan Musto, Principal, 8090 Ventures

Max Conway, Partner, Dyne Ventures

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Winning the Innovation Race at Sea

Session Description

This closing discussion will synthesize the day’s themes into a roadmap for maintaining maritime superiority through technology, industrial strength, and strategic capital deployment.

The address will focus on accelerating defense adoption cycles, strengthening allied innovation ecosystems, and building resilient maritime capabilities for the next decade.

Moderator: Lee Silvestre, Senior Principal, Venture Frontiers

Panelists:

Trevor Kelly-Bissonette, Director, International Cooperation at NAVSEA Warfare Centers (NSWC/NUWC) (Ret.)

Michele Estaphan Owen, Ocean Engineer, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport

4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Closing Remarks

4:45 PM – 6:30 PM Cocktail Reception & Tech Mixer