Heartland Maritime & Defense Innovation Forum
Bringing Together Leaders in Autonomous, Energy, Microelectronics, Shipbuilding, and Core Areas of Defense Innovation at the University of Notre Dame, December 9-10, 2025
Join Third Coast Federal and an all-star team for the Heartland Maritime & Defense Innovation Forum, a premier two-day gathering that brings together the Midwest's most innovative defense stakeholders at the University of Notre Dame on December 9th and 10th. We have designed this as an opportunity for industry and economic development organizations to join leaders from the Department of Defense, industry, and academia for a powerful, two-day forum connecting the Midwest’s industrial and R&D capabilities to drive autonomous, energy, maritime, microelectronics, and other defense-related innovation and production. This is your chance to learn about the opportunities that expanded maritime and defense spending will create for the Midwest industrial and innovation base.
Panelists include leadership from NSWC Crane, Heartland Ventures, Michigan Capital Network, Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC), the Silicon Crossroads, University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Purdue, Defense Alliance, Minnesota National Security Research Institute, ARI, Parallax Advanced Research, INvets, Fraser Shipyards, American Resources Corporation, AWS, Horizon Defense, Next Century Power, Solential Energy Solutions, Third Coast Federal, TrekFed, Trideum Corporation, and a variety of other industry participants.
REGISTER HERE
Who should attend?
Government Defense Officials:
DoD personnel and defense acquisition professionals
Regional economic development leaders
Industry & Technology:
Defense contractors and established defense technology companies
Innovative companies from any industry seeking defense funding and academic partnerships
Manufacturers, tech startups, and commercial businesses exploring defense opportunities
Great Lakes maritime and unmanned systems stakeholders
Capital & Investment:
Venture capital and private equity professionals
Innovation ecosystem leaders
Academia & Workforce Development:
University researchers, faculty, and technology transfer officers
Workforce development professionals and organizations
Key Objectives
Building Regional Defense Synergies: Foster unprecedented collaboration between Ohio's Air Force-focused industrial ecosystem and Indiana's Navy-oriented defense capabilities, while leveraging the unique strategic advantages of the Great Lakes region for next-generation defense technologies.
Launching Tomorrow's Innovation Ecosystems: Introduce the groundbreaking Martime and Microelectronics Innovation Ecosystems, designed to accelerate the development and deployment of critical maritime, semiconductor, and unmanned technologies for national security.
Strengthening the Defense Workforce Pipeline: Address critical workforce challenges and opportunities across the Midwest defense industrial base, with particular focus on scaling capacity to meet emerging defense manufacturing and technology needs.
Location
Innovation Park at Notre Dame, 1400 E Angela Blvd, South Bend, IN 46617
Agenda
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
12:00-1:00 PM - Welcome Lunch with Introduction and Keynote Address
1:00-2:00 PM - Panel 1: Sovereign Power: Islanded Microgrids as the Foundation for Resilient Manufacturing and AI
Focus: Utilizing islanded microgrids to deliver the power required to scale domestic expansion of critical industries and AI compute
2:00-3:00 PM - Panel 2: Unleashing Great Lakes & Midwest Unmanned Innovation
Focus: Maximizing SBIR/STTR, OTA, and other government funding and R&D mechanisms to accelerate defense technology development
3:15-4:15 PM - Panel 3: Funding the Future: Non-Dilutive Capital for Defense Innovation
Focus: Maximizing SBIR/STTR, OTA, and other government funding and R&D mechanisms to accelerate defense technology development
4:15-5:15 PM - Panel 4: The Innovation Triangle: Academia, Industry, and Defense Collaboration
Focus: Best practices for accelerating technology transfer and commercialization through strategic partnerships
HMDIF Happy Hour: 5:30 - 7:30 - Place: Hank Family Forum - 8th Floor of Notre Dame Football Stadium (Overlooks Notre Dame Football Field!)
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
8:00 AM - Continental Breakfast, Innovation Park at Notre Dame
8:30-9:30 AM - Panel 5: Anchors Aweigh: Rebuilding America's Maritime Industrial Might
Focus: The critical imperative of re-domesticating U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and revitalizing our merchant marine fleet
9:30-10:30 AM - Panel 6: Beyond the Coasts: High-Value Microelectronics Opportunities for Heartland Innovation
Focus: Identifying opportunities for the Midwest in microelectronics production, obsolescence & sustainment 3 years post-CHIPS Act
10:45-11:45 AM - Panel 7: Building the Arsenal of Democracy: Regional Workforce Capacity for Defense Manufacturing
Focus: Addressing critical workforce challenges and scaling regional capacity to meet expanding defense manufacturing needs
12:00-1:00 PM - Lunch & Charting New Waters Presentation: Introducing the Maritime and Microelectronics Innovation Ecosystems
Focus: Navigating the New Navy Innovation Landscape for Maritime & Microelectronics R&D, Production, and Sustainment
1:00-2:00 PM - Panel 8: Capital Convergence: Private Investment in Dual-Use Technologies
Focus: How venture capital, private equity, and debt financing are approaching the defense technology landscape
Expected Outcomes
The Heartleand Maritime and Defense Innovation Forum team reinforces our commitment to supporting educational institutions, Naval forces, and our Air Force partners in developing the technologies and workforce capabilities that will secure America's future.
Participants will leave with:
Clear pathway for entering the defense market, including non-dilutive funding opportunities accessible to any company
New partnerships and stronger connections across the Midwest defense industrial base and academic research community
Reach out today for more information: events@thirdcoastfederal.com - P: 574-203-9050
