What's New in 2026

Keynight (Monday Evening Keynote and Networking Reception)
New for 2026, XPONENTIAL introduces a Monday evening Keynote (some would say it is a Keynight). XPONENTIAL 2026 kicks off Monday with an evening keynote, followed immediately by a networking reception, open to all attendees.

This new format offers an engaging way to begin the week. Hear from industry leaders, then connect with peers, partners, and exhibitors before the show floor opens. By bringing the community together early, the evening keynote sets momentum and establishes the tone for a high-impact week ahead.

Government-Led Roundtables for VIP Pass Holders
Facilitated conversations between agency leaders, OEMs, and industry stakeholders will align policy and procurement priorities across air, ground, and maritime domains. These roundtables create direct pathways for defense, commercial, and public sector participants to shape regulatory clarity and scale adoption.

Session Formats Built for Engagement
XPONENTIAL 2026 introduces new session formats that encourage participation and collaboration. Expect more roundtables, hands-on demonstrations, audience-driven panels, and technical deep dives that move beyond presentations and into problem solving. Attendees will gain practical insights from operators, developers, and investors addressing real world challenges.

MDEX Co-Located Event
The Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX) joins XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit to connect the autonomy ecosystem with the defense innovation community. Attendees will gain access to DoD buyers, industry exhibits, and one-on-one matchmaking with procurement and acquisition leaders. Together, XPONENTIAL and MDEX strengthen ties between manufacturing, defense, and autonomy, expanding opportunities for collaboration and growth.

End-User Workshops
New end user workshops will bring together operators, regulators, and technology developers to address real world challenges and accelerate adoption across key sectors. Each half day, interactive session will feature expert insights, case studies, and collaborative discussions designed to produce practical strategies for deploying autonomy at scale.

Workshops will focus on areas such as agriculture, security, inspections and critical infrastructure, surveying and mapping, and construction, as XPONENTIAL continues to expand programming around emerging applications of autonomy. These sessions are designed to help end users translate innovation into operational results and drive adoption across the autonomy ecosystem.

Strategic Resilience Track
Strategies for Securing Supply Chains, Systems, and Technologies
As cyber threats, export restrictions, and supply chain volatility increase, resilience is becoming a baseline requirement for uncrewed and autonomous systems. This new track explores how organizations are strengthening the way platforms are designed, sourced, secured, and sustained to ensure operational readiness across commercial, government, and defense environments.

Sessions cover topics such as secure-by-design architecture, supply chain visibility, SBOM and HBOM implementation, export control preparedness, and supplier risk management. Designed for engineers, integrators, cybersecurity leaders, and compliance professionals, Strategic Resilience delivers practical strategies to protect critical technologies and sustain deployment at scale.