01
National Security Innovation Expo
A showcase for university research, student design teams, prototypes, startups, and emerging national-security capabilities.
Space Coast
Florida
National
Security
Summit
Uniting strategy, technology, and talent.
Gainesville, Florida
Registration coming soon
Mission
Florida has the capabilities. The opportunity is to connect them.
Florida hosts major combatant commands, military installations, space launch infrastructure, ports, research universities, and defense-industry clusters. Too often, they operate in parallel. The student-led Florida National Security Summit brings the people behind them into one room — with leaders from across the country — to align what Florida can do with what the nation needs.
To connect Florida’s national-security ecosystem with leaders, organizations, and ideas from across the country — creating a forum to align capabilities with national priorities, foster collaboration, and advance national security.
Why Florida
A statewide national-security ecosystem.
From the Panhandle to the Space Coast to the Keys, Florida brings together capabilities the nation relies on.
- Space & launch
- Military operations
- Ports & maritime
- Western Hemisphere
- Aviation & testing
- Simulation & training
- Research universities
- Defense industry
- Talent
The summit
More than a conference.
Two days built to move ideas into action — and to connect the people who can act on them.
01
Ideas
Keynotes and expert panels across strategy, technology, operations, industry, and workforce.
02
Innovation
University research, startups, student projects, and emerging technology — on display and in conversation.
03
Connection
Government, military, industry, investors, universities, researchers, and students in one room.
04
Opportunity
Careers, mentors, collaborators, partnerships, and pathways from research to mission.
Program
Two days. One statewide network.
A day to connect, a day to convene — organized around five broad lanes of conversation.
Friday · March 26Day 01
- Tours
- Workshops
- Career and recruiting programming
- Innovation programming
- Opening reception
Saturday · March 27Day 02
- Keynote
- Expert panels
- Networking
- Innovation expo
- Pitch competition
- Closing reception
Preliminary format. The detailed program — sessions, speakers, and times — will be announced to the mailing list.
Five lanes of conversation
01
Strategy
- Geopolitics
- Emerging threats
- National priorities
- Florida as a strategic asset
02
Innovation
- Defense technology
- University research
- Startups
- Technology transition
- Space
03
Operations
- Military readiness
- Combatant commands
- Intelligence
- AI, autonomy, and cyber
04
Industry
- Acquisition
- Venture and private capital
- Manufacturing
- Defense industrial base
- Supply chains
- Rapid fielding
05
People
- Talent and education
- Workforce development
- Careers
- University–industry–government collaboration
Innovation
From lab to mission.
A showcase and a stage for the research, teams, and technologies shaping national security.
02
Pitch Competition
An opportunity for promising ideas and technologies to engage with operators, investors, industry, and innovation leaders.
Participation details, eligibility, and timelines will be announced to the mailing list.
Who should attend
One room. Every part of the ecosystem.
01
Students & early career
Exposure to national-security careers, ideas, organizations, and mentors.
02
Government & military
New technologies, research, talent, industry perspectives, and cross-sector connections.
03
Industry & investors
Access to talent, research, government stakeholders, emerging capabilities, and potential partners.
04
Universities & research
A platform to showcase capabilities and connect research and education with national-security needs.
Statewide
Built for Florida. Designed to move across it.
The inaugural summit takes place in Gainesville in 2027. The long-term vision is a statewide summit that can rotate among Florida’s universities — convening the ecosystem in a different part of the state over time.
Edition 01 · Gainesville · 2027
Coming soon
Speakers, partners, and registration.
Coming soon
Speakers
Keynotes and panelists from government, the military, industry, and academia will be announced soon.
Coming soon
Partners
Partner and sponsor announcements are coming soon. Interested in partnering? Get in touch.
Coming soon
Registration
Registration opens soon. Join the mailing list to be the first to know.
Organizers
Organized in Florida, for the nation.
Organized by
- Florida National Security Club
Mailing list
Be part of the inaugural Florida National Security Summit.
Join the mailing list to hear first as the summit takes shape.
Subscribers receive
- Speaker announcements
- Registration updates
- Program releases
- Innovation opportunities
- Summit news