Photo: Emil Michael / Department of Defense
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael — the Pentagon’s chief technology officer — will keynote the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 at the Hilton McLean in Virginia. The event will be POC’s first major GovCon gathering of 2026 and is expected to draw senior defense leaders, program executives and industry innovators from across the GovCon ecosystem. Registration is now open!
Why Is Emil Michael Keynoting the 2026 Defense R&D Summit?
Michael has rapidly become one of the most consequential technology leaders in the federal government. Confirmed by the Senate in May in a 54-43 vote, he now serves as the Pentagon’s CTO and the principal advisor to top DOD leaders on technology development, prototyping, experimentation and the transition of emerging capabilities into fielded systems.
He also began serving as acting director of the Defense Innovation Unit in August, taking the helm at one of DOD’s most important commercial-technology accelerators following the resignation of Doug Beck.
As keynote speaker, Michael will outline the Pentagon’s modernization trajectory for 2026 and preview major opportunities ahead for industry. Early registrants will gain direct insight into DOD’s shifting investment signals.
What Will Emil Michael Bring to the Pentagon CTO Role in 2026?
Michael’s background is uniquely hybrid — and highly attractive to GovCon audiences.
Before returning to government, he built a prominent career across Silicon Valley, serving as chief business officer at Uber from 2013 to 2017 and holding executive and advisory roles at Tellme Networks, Klout and dozens of start-ups.
He has been involved with more than 50 technology companies as an investor, advisor or operator.
But his roots in national security run deep. Earlier in his career he served as special assistant to the secretary of defense under Robert Gates, bringing direct Pentagon experience in strategic operations, acquisition and enterprise management.
He now combines this commercial scaling expertise with DOD mission needs — a blend that he told Congress gives him the potential to “recast the relationship between the Defense Department and the emerging tech sector,” according to DefenseScoop.
How Has Emil Michael Reshaped DOD Tech Priorities Since His Confirmation?
Since being sworn in on May 20, Michael has already undertaken major structural reforms. Most notably, he reduced DOD’s sprawling list of 14 “critical technology areas” to a focused, fast-execution set of six tech priorities:
- Applied artificial intelligence
- Quantum and battlefield information dominance (Q-BID)
- Biomanufacturing
- Contested logistics technology
- Scaled hypersonics
- Scaled directed energy
Michael argued that narrower priorities will help DOD deliver capabilities within 36 months or less. He said that “14 priorities in truth means no priorities at all,” and he has emphasized speed, prototyping, transition and shared risk with industry as central themes.
These six areas will shape many of the discussions, panels and networking opportunities at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit.
Which Technologies Will Be Featured at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit?
This year’s Defense R&D Summit is built around the most competitive modernization missions, including:
- AI as an operational enabler
- Quantum-driven information dominance
- The Golden Dome missile defense architecture
- 5G, futureG and smart installations
- Logistics modernization for contested theaters
- Hypersonics and directed energy at scale
- Bridging the “valley of death” for emerging technology
These panels will align directly with Michael’s “big six” — positioning attendees to understand where DOD is concentrating dollars, testing capacity and acquisition focus.
Who Else Is Speaking at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit?
Alongside Michael, the summit will feature keynote remarks from Dr. Thomas Rondeau, principal director for futureG and 5G at the Department of Defense.
Additional speakers — drawn from across the Army, Marine Corps, Space Force, DIU and the broader GovCon industrial base — will provide direct insight into the programs, pilot efforts and procurement pathways shaping the new year.
The event is sponsored by top GovCon firms including SAIC, CACI, Lockheed Martin, Ericsson Federal and Nokia Federal Solutions, with additional participating organizations spanning both primes and rising-tier tech disruptors.
Why Should GovCon Leaders Attend the 2026 Defense R&D Summit?
The defense-tech market is undergoing its most dramatic shift in more than a decade. Disruptor companies in AI, sensing, logistics, autonomy and software-defined systems are increasingly outpacing legacy providers and winning transformational contracts.
Michael’s arrival — combined with his private-sector background and DIU leadership — accelerates this shift. Contractors who understand these dynamics early will position themselves for the fastest-moving opportunity cycles in 2026.
Don’t wait — save your spot now for the 2026 Defense R&D Summit.
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