Reagan Institute Announces National Security Innovation Base Summit Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2025

Reagan Institute Announces National Security Innovation Base Summit Agenda

The third annual summit convenes key lawmakers, senior national security officials, and leading innovators at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Ronald Reagan Institute’s Center for Peace Through Strength has released the agenda for its annual National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) Summit, taking place on March 5, 2025. Leaders from across all sectors of the innovation ecosystem will join to discuss the challenges the United States faces in maintaining and expanding its technological edge.

In his inaugural Message to the Force, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared his commitment to rebuilding the U.S. military by reviving the defense industrial base, reforming the Department of Defense’s acquisition process, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. The NSIB Summit is one of the first comprehensive convenings since Secretary Hegseth took office that will look at the state of the defense innovation base, which is vital to the rebuilding efforts.

The summit will feature the release of the third annual Reagan Institute NSIB Report Card. The NSIB Report Card is an important policy tool that evaluates the national security innovation ecosystem’s health, effectiveness, and resilience, and provides recommendations for improvement. The Report Card will consider key indicators including U.S. government customer clarity, defense modernization, the country’s NSIB talent base, and, for the first time, the country’s manufacturing capacity and industrial base.

The Summit agenda features a keynote address from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) along with Department of Defense officials, other Members of Congress, and foreign leaders including:

·         Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), House Armed Services Committee

·         Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), House Armed Services Committee

·         Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Senate Armed Services Committee

·         Gen. Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force

·         Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), House Armed Services Committee

·         Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins KCB OBE RM, Commandant General, Royal Marines 

·         Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), House Armed Services Committee

·         Gen. James E. Rainey, Commanding General, U.S. Army Futures Command

·         Amb. Kevin Rudd, Ambassador of Australia to the United States

·         Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Senate Armed Services Committee

·         Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Vice Chair, House Armed Services Committee

Media wishing to request credentials to attend in-person or virtually can do so here.

NSIB Summit Agenda:

8:30 AM – 8:35 AM    Welcome

·         Mr. Roger Zakheim, Director, Ronald Reagan Institute

8:35 AM – 9:15 AM    Grading America’s Edge: The 2025 NSIB Report Card

·         Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), House Armed Services Committee

·         Ms. Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO, Govini

·         Mr. Dale Swartz, Partner, McKinsey and Company

·         Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Vice Chair, House Armed Services Committee

·         Moderator: Ms. Rachel Hoff, Policy Director, Ronald Reagan Institute

9:20 AM – 9:50 AM   Fireside Chat

·         Introduction: Mr. David V. Trulio, President and CEO, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

·         Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Senate Armed Services Committee

·         Mr. Joseph T. Lonsdale, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 8VC

·         Moderator: Ms. Morgan Brennan, “Closing Bell: Overtime” Co-Anchor, CNBC

 9:55 AM – 10:35 AM Manufacturing the Future: Translating Innovation into                                                     Production at Speed and Scale

·         Mr. Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril Industries

·         Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), House Armed Services Committee

·         Ms. Liz Young McNally, Deputy Director of Commercial Operations, Defense Innovation Unit

·         Moderator: Ms. Heather Somerville, Technology Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

10:45 AM – 11:25 AM The Digital Frontline: Cybersecurity and America’s Innovation                                      Ecosystem

·         Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), House Armed Services Committee

·         Mr. Josh Lospinoso, Co-Founder and CEO, Shift5

·         Hon. Mac Thornberry, Former Chair, House Armed Services Committee

·         Moderator: Mr. Gerrit De Vynck, Tech Reporter, The Washington Post

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Fireside Chat

·         Gen. Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force

·         Moderator: Mr. Sam Skove, Space and Emerging Tech Reporter, POLITICO

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Keynote Luncheon

·         Introduction: Amb. Susan McCaw, Trustee, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

·         Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee

·         Moderator: Mr. Roger Zakheim, Director, Ronald Reagan Institute

2:00 PM – 2:40 PM    Smart Warfare: Leveraging AI and Autonomy on the                                                         Battlefield

·         Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), House Armed Services Committee

·         Mr. Doug Philippone, General Partner and Co-Founder, Snowpoint Ventures 

·         Mr. Thomas Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, Domino Data Lab

·         Moderator: Mr. Colin Demarest, Future of Defense Reporter, Axios 

2:50 PM – 3:30 PM    Stronger Together: Working with Allies to Advance Defense                                           Modernization

·         Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins KCB OBE RM, Commandant General, Royal Marines 

·         Amb. Kevin Rudd, Ambassador of Australia to the United States

·         Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Senate Armed Services Committee

·         Moderator: Mr. Marcus Weisgerber, Senior Director, Invariant

3:35 PM – 4:05 PM    Fireside Chat

·         Hon. Mike Gallagher, Head of Defense, Palantir Technologies

·         Gen. James E. Rainey, Commanding General, U.S. Army Futures Command

·         Moderator: Ms. Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent, FOX News Channel

What:  

National Security Innovation Base Summit

Who:

Members of Congress, civilian and military leadership of the Department of Defense, former officials, scholars, defense industry leaders, technology innovators, and members of the press

When:

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Where:

Ronald Reagan Institute

850 16th St NW

Washington, DC  20006

For more information, visit www.reaganfoundation.org or follow @ReaganInstitute. 

About the Reagan Foundation and Institute

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI) is the sole nonprofit organization created by President Reagan charged with advancing his legacy and principles –individual liberty, economic opportunity, freedom and democracy, peace through strength, and national pride. A globally recognized nonpartisan organization based in Simi Valley, CA, with a leading policy institute in Washington, DC, RRPFI delivers impactful public affairs programming, policy convenings and projects of national and international significance, and distinctive educational initiatives.