Related Ross, AWS, and Vanderbilt Host Inaugural Defense Tech Leadership Summit in West Palm Beach
Summit convenes senior leaders from the U.S. Department of War, Department of State, White House, federal agencies, industry, and academia in partnership with AWS and Vanderbilt University to advance next-generation defense innovation
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (February 17, 2026) — Related Ross, in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Vanderbilt University, today hosted the inaugural Defense Tech Leadership Summit, a premier national convening of military, private sector, and academic leaders advancing the future of defense innovation.
Held in West Palm Beach, Florida, the one-day summit underscores the region’s rapid emergence as a nucleus for next-generation defense technology development and innovation. This inaugural gathering convenes top officials and decision-makers shaping America’s technological edge across sectors including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space systems, cybersecurity, and industrial reinvention. The Summit will spotlight West Palm Beach’s expanding defense innovation ecosystem, following the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) expansion from California, which is anchoring a critical East Coast node for collaboration among industry leaders, including Blue Origin, Palantir, Anduril, and Ubicquia. During the conference, Palantir’s Shon Manasco, International Defense Lead, acknowledged Palantir’s relocation of its headquarters to Florida’s Gold Coast in Miami.
“The Defense Tech Leadership Summit represents a pivotal moment in advancing America’s technological leadership,” said Stephen Ross, CEO and Chairman, Related Ross. “By bringing together the brightest minds in defense, technology, and academia, we’re strengthening the innovation pipelines that secure the nation’s competitive edge.”
The Summit features senior leaders from the Departments of War, Defense, State and Treasury, alongside CEOs, founders, investors, and industry pioneers. Programming explored the intersection of U.S. technology, policy, capital, and defense readiness.
“Florida has long played a critical role in advancing America’s defense capabilities, with deep ties to testing, aerospace, and military innovation,” said Eric Silagy, Vice Chairman, Related Ross. “Hosting this inaugural Summit here reflects both that history and the role the region can continue to play in shaping the future of defense innovation.”
The event sponsored by Ubicquia and Walbridge is anchored by a strategic partnership with AWS and Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Security, combining world-class cloud infrastructure, academic research excellence, and national security expertise to accelerate the development and deployment of mission-critical and dual-use technologies.
“National security innovation depends on speed, scale, and trusted collaboration,” said Dave Levy, Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services. “By bringing together leaders from defense, industry, and academia, the Defense Tech Leadership Summit creates a model for the cross-sector environment needed to rapidly turn breakthrough ideas into mission-ready capabilities. AWS is proud to partner with Related Ross and Vanderbilt University to help power the next generation of secure, resilient, and transformative defense technologies.”
“Universities play a critical role in strengthening national security by advancing research, educating future leaders, and bridging discovery with real-world impact,” said Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor, Vanderbilt University. “This Summit reflects Vanderbilt’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and to working alongside government and industry partners to accelerate innovation that supports both our nation’s security and long-term growth in South Florida.”
Event Highlights and Speaker Lineup:
- Welcoming Remarks – Michael Greenwald, AWS; Stephen Ross, Chairman and CEO, Related Ross; Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor, Vanderbilt University; Dave Levy, AWS.
- Pentagon’s Playbook: Engineering the Future of Defense – Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, moderated by Omeed Malik, 1789.
- Fireside Chatswill feature Tom Keane (Anduril), Jacob Helberg (Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth), Dave Limp (CEO, Blue Origin), Jack Hidary (SandboxAQ), Kirsten Davies (Chief Information Officer, Department of War), David R. Fitzgerald (Deputy Under Secretary of the Army), and U.S. Chief White House Technology Officer, Ethan Klein.
Panels include:
- The New Defense Industrial Base for Global Competition– Featuring leaders from SAAB, Palantir, and OpenAI.
- AI and the Future of Federal Finance– With Paras Malik, U.S. Treasury; Jim DeMare, Bank of America; moderated by Michael Greenwald, AWS.
- Securing the Innovation Pipeline – Led by Dean Krish Roy, Vanderbilt, with Gilman Louie (In-Q-Tel), David Vigneault (Strider Technologies), and Ian Aaron (Ubicquia).
- Defense Tech in Action: From Innovation to Deployment – Featuring Will Edwards, CEO of Firehawk Aerospace, and Kevin Kassekert, CEO of Vulcan Forms.
- Reflections from the Frontlines– With General Paul Nakasone and Admiral Christopher Grady moderated by Julian Barnes, The New York Times.
- The Summit will conclude with U.S. Senator Rick Scott (FL) offering closing remarks, followed by a networking reception hosted at Eataly.
Supported by AWS’s cutting-edge technology infrastructure and Ubicquia’s smart infrastructure solutions, the Defense Tech Leadership Summit serves as a catalyst for cross-sector collaboration, propelling advancement in dual-use technologies critical to both national security and economic growth.
The Summit further reinforces South Florida’s growing role as a national defense innovation corridor, leveraging a convergence of talent, infrastructure, capital, and proximity to key government and industry partners to drive long-term innovation and economic growth.
About Related Ross
Led by visionary developer Stephen Ross, Related Ross is a fully integrated real estate company shaping South Florida’s next generation of growth. With more than $10B planned in investment across Palm Beach County, the firm is a market leader in attracting global companies and talent to South Florida.
As a catalyst for regional growth, Related Ross is advancing developments through public-private partnerships that strengthen business ecosystems, expand attainable housing offerings, support world-class healthcare, enhance higher education and K-12 opportunities, and cultivate innovation hubs to accelerate South Florida’s dynamic business and cultural growth. The firm also curates entertainment programming and thought-leadership initiatives that position the region as a national center for ideas and experiences. Its portfolio spans mixed-use, Class AA+ lifestyle office, luxury residential, affordable housing, city centers, hotels and hospitality, and public realm, designed to anchor long-term economic vitality in the communities they build.
Through the Related Ross Foundation, the company ensures equitable growth that expands access to education, employment, and opportunity across the region. For more information, visit www.relatedross.com.
About Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is guided by customer obsession, pace of innovation, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. By democratizing technology for nearly two decades and making cloud computing and generative AI accessible to organizations of every size and industry, AWS has built one of the fastest-growing enterprise technology businesses in history. Millions of customers trust AWS to accelerate innovation, transform their businesses, and shape the future. With the most comprehensive AI capabilities and global infrastructure footprint, AWS empowers builders to turn big ideas into reality. Learn more at aws.amazon.com and follow @AWSNewsroom.
About Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University, one of the world’s most prestigious research universities, was founded in Nashville in the aftermath of the Civil War and is now setting the standard for higher education in the 21st century. Guided by its mission of pathbreaking research and transformative education, Vanderbilt is a supportive living-learning community where open dialogue and civil discourse flourish. A magnet for top talent, the university contributes more than $22 billion annually to the Nashville economy. To date, the university’s historic Dare to Grow fundraising campaign has raised more than $3.5 billion to fuel Vanderbilt’s vision for innovation, expansion and impact.
About Ubicquia
Ubicquia’s AI-driven platforms make existing critical infrastructure intelligent to increase grid resiliency, reduce energy consumption, and enhance operational efficiencies for utilities, municipalities, and commercial enterprises. Ubicquia’s analytics platform processes more than 3.5 billion data sets per day to deliver actionable insights across smart lighting, grid monitoring, and public safety. Ubicquia’s products and solutions, which include sensors, software, and connectivity, are compatible with more than 450 million streetlights, 500 million transformers, and 1 billion utility poles worldwide. Ubicquia’s platforms are deployed in more than 1,000 utilities and municipalities and are integrated on an OEM basis with leading manufacturers of transformers, streetlights, and public safety solutions. For more information, visit www.ubicquia.com.
About Walbridge
Walbridge is one of America's largest privately held construction companies founded in Detroit in 1916. The company offers construction management, engineering, and real estate services for customers in manufacturing, hyperscale data centers, automotive, defense, higher education, health care, and government. Walbridge employs more than 1,500 professionals in North America. Visit www.walbridge.com or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.
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