Join host Dr. Arun Seraphin, Executive Director of the Emerging Technologies Institute, for a conversation with Nicholas Lanham, Director of Enterprise Platforms and Data at KAIROS Inc., and Charles Ott, Solutions Strategist and Vice President at Maximus. In this episode, Mr. Lanham and Mr. Ott discuss the upcoming NDIA/ETI Global Defense Hackathon, which is being held in conjunction with the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition. Throughout the conversation, we cover what the purpose of the Global Defense Hackathon is, how a Hackathon works, and what sets the NDIA/ETI Global Defense Hackathon apart from traditional Hackathons. Additionally, we answer the question how we can transition Hackathon solutions into DOD acquisition processes.

To learn more and register for the NDIA/ETI Global Defense Hackathon, visit https://hackathon.ndia.org/

Join us for the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29 at the Washington D.C Convention Center. Registration is now open at ⁠https://www.ndiatechexpo.org⁠.

This year, we will be joined by Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael and USD for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey as two of our engaging keynote speakers. The conference will also feature numerous breakout panels, government-industry speed dating, networking sessions, and a multi-day Hackathon.

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Join host Dr. Arun Seraphin for a conversation with Dr. David Bray, Director of the Loomis Accelerator Program and Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, and Jeffrey Wright, recently retired Special Operations Officer and Founder of SplashOne Robotics. In this episode, Dr. Bray and Mr. Wright discuss whether the DOD needs to develop and deploy warfighter-portable small unmanned aerial systems in the Indo-Pacific, and potentially other theaters. Additionally, we cover the current barriers to implementing small-UAS in the Indo-Pacific region and what changes need to be made to DOD acquisition processes and culture to better prepare for future conflicts.

To view Dr. David Bray’s full report, “Strategic Sufficiency: Mapping DOD Small Drone Requirements to Potential Warfighter Needs in the Indo-Pacific", click here: https://oodaloop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Strategic-Sufficiency_-Mapping-DoD-Small-Drone-Requirements-to-Potential-Warfighter-Needs-in-the-Indo-Pacific.pdf

Join us for the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29 at the Washington D.C Convention Center. Registration is now open at ⁠https://www.ndiatechexpo.org⁠.

This year, we will be joined by Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael and USD for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey as two of our engaging keynote speakers. The conference will also feature numerous breakout panels, government-industry speed dating, networking sessions, and a multi-day Hackathon.

To register for the multi-day Hackathon, please visit: https://hackathon.ndia.org/?_gl=1*1ux9nxs*_ga*NzIzODIyMDUuMTc0OTc1MDI2Nw..*_ga_Z4X7EV9BT1*czE3NTMzMDM5MzIkbzIyJGcxJHQxNzUzMzAzOTM2JGo1NiRsMCRoMA..

Be sure to like and subscribe to stay up to date. Thank you for listening to another episode of Emerging Tech Horizons.

Join us for the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29 at the Washington D.C Convention Center. Registration is now open at ⁠https://www.ndiatechexpo.org⁠.

⁠https://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org⁠

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In this episode, we are joined by John Weiler, CEO of the IT-Acquisition Advisory Council, to discuss the past, present, and future of DOD IT acquisitions. We discuss the past failures of DOD IT-acquisition programs and how the Pentagon can learn from those mistakes. Additionally, Mr. Weiler details the best commercial practices the Department of Defense should adopt to successfully procure and deploy the best software for their mission.

Executive Order 14222 - Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency“ Cost Efficiency Initiative: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-cost-efficiency-initiative/

DOD Memo on Implementation of Executive Order 14222 - Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative: https://media.defense.gov/2025/May/28/2003725174/-1/-1/1/MEMORANDUM-DIRECTING-IMPLEMENTATION-OF-EXECUTIVE-ORDER-14222-DEPARTMENT-OF-GOVERNMENT-EFFICIENCY-COST-EFFICIENCY-INITIATIVE.PDF

Visit the IT-AAC's website at: https://it-aac.org/

Join us for the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29 at the Washington D.C Convention Center. Registration is now open at https://www.ndiatechexpo.org.

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In May 2025, the Emerging Technologies Institute and MITRE Corporation released a report that explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the Department of Defense’s acquisition system and support its workforce. Several of the authors, including Adam Bouffard (Group Leader and Principal Decision Analyst at MITRE), Chris Barlow (Senior Acquisition Analyst), and Wilson Miles (Associate Research Fellow at ETI) joined the podcast to discuss both the opportunities of inserting AI into the acquisition lifecycle and barriers to implementation. Additionally, the guests describe several potential paths forward to accelerate the adoption of AI for acquisition needs.

Accelerating the Future: Leveraging AI for Transformative Federal Acquisition, https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/research-papers/accelerating-the-future

To receive updates about the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29, 2025 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up or visit our website at: https://www.ndiatechexpo.org

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In this episode, we are joined by Tom Huntley, who is Vice President of Government Relations and Defense at REGENT, to discuss the future of advanced maritime mobility. We discuss the technological breakthroughs that have allowed for recent developments in Seagliders and the current state of play in the maritime industry. Additionally, Huntley lays out the potential commercial, homeland security, and defense missions that seagliders are well-suited for.

For more information on REGENT, visit their website: https://www.regentcraft.com/

To view the first flight of REGENT’s quarter-scale seaglider, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka1GpNGdjXM

To receive updates about the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29, 2025 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up

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In this episode, we are joined by William C. Greenwalt, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), to evaluate the state of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDs). Drawing on the release of his new report, “Required to Fail | Beyond Documents: Accelerating Joint Advantage through Direct Resourcing and Experimentation,” Greenwalt discusses the need to reform JCIDs to ensure military capabilities serve joint force needs rather than individual services, driving interoperability across services, and connecting strategy to acquisition by validating the alignment of new requirements. Additionally, Greenwalt highlights opportunities to improve how the United States aligns warfighter needs with technology development.

Required to Fail | Beyond Documents: Accelerating Joint Advantage through Direct Resourcing and Experimentation report: https://www.hudson.org/technology/required-fail-beyond-documents-accelerating-joint-advantage-through-direct-resourcing-dan-patt-william-greenwalt

To receive updates about the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29, 2025 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-uphttp://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EmergingTechETIhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ndia-eti-emerging-technologies-institutehttps://www.twitter.com/EmergingTechETI

In March, the Ronald Reagan Institute published its third annual National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) Report Card, a scorecard that uses 10 indicators such as 'Manufacturing Capacity and Industrial Base' and 'Innovation Capital' to measure the effectiveness and resilience of the U.S. defense innovation base. Join Rachel Hoff, Policy Director at the Reagan Institute, and Eric Snelgrove, CEO of Revere Federal Strategies, as they discuss how the scorecard is produced and indicators are chosen, why the private sector received higher grades than the government in key areas, which indicators are most important to keep an eye on, and how the NSIB can use streamlined talent pipelines and an "unmanned weapons systems-as-a-service" contract vehicle to improve its scores for next year.

The Reagan Institute: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan-institute

2025 NSIB Report Card: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/cms/assets/1741105896-nsib-2025-feb26-web-1.pdf

To receive updates about the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29, 2025 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up

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