Why Miami

Hosting XPONENTIAL 2027 in Miami places the event at the gateway between the world's most advanced uncrewed systems industry and the fastest-growing defense and commercial autonomy market in the hemisphere. Miami is where the U.S. Southern Command's new Autonomous Warfare Command is standing up the Department of War's next generation of unmanned capability, where a $54 billion federal drone and autonomy budget is reaching South Florida companies, and where air, sea, and space domains converge across one metro area. With direct reach into the Caribbean and Latin America, Miami provides a powerful stage for exploring the future of autonomy across air, land, and maritime domains, and across borders.

This isn't just about where autonomy is headquartered, it's where it is being commanded, funded, and launched into hemispheric operations. XPONENTIAL 2027 will showcase the systems, strategies, and stakeholders making that vision real.

That leadership is reinforced by U.S. Southern Command, headquartered in Miami-Dade County, which stood up the SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC) in 2026. Tasked with integrating autonomous, semi-autonomous, and unmanned platforms across the region's air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, SAWC extends South Florida's role at the center of hemispheric defense innovation.

Together with the region's growing base of maritime, aerospace, and robotics companies, SAWC creates expanded opportunities for collaboration across industry and government. This integrated experience strengthens Miami's position as a place where autonomous technologies move from development to deployment in support of both commercial and national security missions.

Relevant Organizations and Resources

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)

• Headquartered in Miami-Dade County (Doral), SOUTHCOM directs U.S. defense and security cooperation across the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
• In 2026, established the SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC) to integrate autonomous, semi-autonomous, and unmanned platforms across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.
• Coordinates with the Pentagon's Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) to field next-generation unmanned capabilities region-wide.

Miami-Dade Beacon Council

• Miami-Dade County's official public-private economic development partnership, connecting companies to investment, talent, and incentives.
• Actively promotes Miami-Dade as a hub for aerospace, aviation, and defense investment on the world stage.
• Supports the county's Economic Development Fund, which targets aviation/aerospace and homeland security/defense growth in corridors including Opa-locka, Kendall-Tamiami, and Homestead Air Reserve Base.

Florida International University (FIU)

• Home to the Motion Robotics and Autonomy (MoRA) Lab and Discovery Lab within the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, advancing autonomous vehicles, sensor fusion, and AI/ML research.
• FIU's Applied Research Center develops robotic systems for inspection and remote operations, including work for U.S. Department of Energy facilities.
• Provides a deep regional talent pipeline feeding autonomy, robotics, and computing careers.

Homestead Air Reserve Base

• Designated a Florida spaceport territory in 2024, expanding the state's aerospace and autonomy testing footprint into South Miami-Dade.
• Sits alongside a cluster of aviation, aerospace, and defense manufacturing companies near major aircraft MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) operations.
• Long home to military installations supporting SOUTHCOM and Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), reinforcing the region's defense infrastructure.