Competition, Challenges, and Cooperation

The U.S. lead in technology development is ever more hotly contested, particularly by autocratic states bent on challenging the international order. Breakthroughs in critical emerging technologies like AI, hypersonics, quantum science, directed energy, and biotechnology—once believed decades away—are now reshaping battlefields and geopolitical realities. These technologies will yield advantages for whomever can develop and deploy them first, and the Pentagon is determined to win the race.

At Defense One’s 9th annual Tech Summit attendees learned how the Pentagon and its partners are turning science fiction into reality. We convened senior DoD and industry leaders to discuss advancements in battlefield and backend technologies—and how the U.S. government can better work with startups, academia, and international partners.