DRON8 Summit 2026
DRON8 Summit 2026 — Austin, Texas
On October 28, 2026, the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center at the University of Texas Austin becomes the most important room in the autonomous systems world for one day. Senior leaders from the U.S. and allies defense agencies, critical infrastructure operators, dual-use investors, and university research labs will gather for a program built entirely around one principle: real deployments, real decisions, real deals.
Agenda
8:00 AM | Doors Open
8:15 AM | Breakfast & Matchmaking room open for VIP
9:00 AM | Morning Power Session: Texas & Autonomy
Joseph Kopser (MC) together with Terry Zrubek, Senior representative of the Texas Governor's Office opens the day and let Rise & Shine: FIRST STEM Robotics high school students, the next generation of Texas innovators, engineers, and technology leaders.
9:40 AM | PANEL: From the Factory to the Field
10:40 AM | KEYNOTE: The opening keynote, From Warfighter to Founder, sets the tone: a founder who led Navy SEAL missions in eight combat deployments, then built one of America's most recognized autonomous defense companies, shares how the next decade of security and infrastructure gets shaped, from the field, not the boardroom.
11:00 AM | PANEL: Investor’s Playbook: Capital, Partnerships & the Path to Scale brings together investors from OXCART, The Veteran Fund, and other venture capital firms to unpack what it takes to get funded, and scale today. Frank Trevino & Larry Covert
12:00 AM | LUNCH Demo Gallery & VIP lunch (Matchmaking II)
1:00 PM | PANEL: From the Lab to the Field — UT Austin research and Army Futures Command in conversation with a leading defense CTO, showing how academic innovation becomes an operational system Maruthi Akella & Michael Mosser
1:40 PM | SHOWCASE
2:40 PM | KEYNOTE: The Transatlantic Arsenal - What Europe’s Frontline Has Learned About Defending the Sky Affordably, and Why the Next Chapter Runs Through Texas. A frontline perspective on how Europe is rethinking air defense through speed, affordability, and scalable technology and why Texas can become a critical bridge for bringing those lessons, technologies, and partnerships to the U.S. market.
3:00 PM | PANEL: Command, Control & Credentials - The interface layer of Autonomous Systems A forward-looking discussion on the critical layer connecting humans, AI, and autonomous machines, how we command, control, trust, and interact with increasingly intelligent systems across defense and dual-use environments, discussion Ligeia Zeruto, Jonathan Josephson & Scott Firsing, PhD
4:00 PM | Coffee & Networking - DEMO GALLERY
5:00 PM | KEYNOTE: Why Texas — Through Texas to the World. Texas Secretary of State Robert S. Howden explores why Texas has become a powerful launchpad for innovation, investment, and global growth, and how companies can leverage Texas as their gateway to the world.
Evening: The Runway
The formal program ends. The real work begins.
A closing remarks maps DRON8's path for the year 2027. Partners are recognized. The Demo Gallery opens one final time. And the conversations that started at breakfast find their conclusion over drinks.
This is where the deals get made.
DRON8 Summit 2026 is co-organized with the University of Texas at Austin. Seating is curated and limited.
October 28, 2026 · Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, UT Austin · www.dron8.us
Contact founders: Andrea Hrusovska, MBA, Forbes & Jozef Hrusovsky
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