Episodes

  • Women in Defense 2025: Exploring Planetary Protection
    Oct 10 2025

    Join host Arun Seraphin at the 2025 Women in Defense Conference for a conversation with PhD Candidate Adrienne Rudolph and Professor Brent Barbee of the University of Maryland. Together, they discuss the importance of gender solidarity in the defense sector while sharing their expertise in planetary defense systems. Highlighting the need for asteroid and meteoroid deterrence capabilities, they also review the roles of key government agencies and the technologies currently engaged in this mission.Learn More:https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-defense/To receive updates about the conference please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-uphttp://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EmergingTechETIhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ndia-eti-emerging-technologies-institute https://www.twitter.com/EmergingTechETI

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    23 mins
  • NATO DIANA: Transatlantic Security and Defense Innovation
    Oct 8 2025

    Join guest host Dr. Mark Lewis, President and CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute at the 2025 Emerging Technologies Conference, for a conversation with James Appathurai, Interim Managing Director of NATO DIANA. Together, they address key security and defense issues on NATO’s agenda, including military support for Ukraine, challenges in innovation and acquisition, and priority emerging technologies.Learn More:https://www.diana.nato.int/To receive updates about the conference please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-uphttp://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EmergingTechETIhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ndia-eti-emerging-technologies-institutehttps://www.twitter.com/EmergingTechETI

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    23 mins
  • Inside Latvia’s Defense Tech Sector
    Oct 3 2025

    Join Emerging Technologies Conference 2025 guest host Dr. Mark Lewis, President and CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute, for a conversation with Elīna Egle, CEO of the Federation of Security and Defense Industries of Latvia. Egle shares insights into Latvia’s growing defense and security sector, highlighting its strengths as well as its vulnerabilities. The discussion covers topics such as funding acquisition, international cooperation, NATO procurement systems, and barriers to innovation in Latvia’s key areas, including logistics services, industrial heritage in aircraft building, space technologies, and autonomous drone systems.


    Latvian Companies Mentioned:

    Lightspace Technologies: https://lightspace3d.com/

    Exonicus: https://exonicus.com/


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    22 mins
  • Rations to the Warfighter: Innovation and Vulnerabilities
    Oct 1 2025

    Join guest host Dr. Liz Specht for a conversation with Nicole Favreau Farhadi, Senior Research Biochemist at the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (DEVCOM) Soldier Center, Combat Feeding Division (CFD). This episode, the final installment of our five-part biomanufacturing series, explores food research within the Department of Defense and the intersection of food biomanufacturing innovation with warfighter readiness. The discussion highlights the Defense Department’s responsibilities in combat feeding, logistical vulnerabilities in military food systems, the integration of new biotechnologies for food processing, and the optimization of combat rations for nutrient density, weight, and shelf life.

    Learn More:

    DEVCOM: https://sc.devcom.army.mil/who-we-are/

    Joint Culinary Center of Excellence (JCCoE): https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/jccoe_main.html

    Close Combat Assault Ration (CCAR): https://www.dla.mil/Troop-Support/Subsistence/Operational-rations/Close-Combat-Assault-Ration/

    Unitized Group Ration (UGR): https://www.dla.mil/Troop-Support/Subsistence/Operational-rations/UGR-HS/

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    37 mins
  • DARPA’s Role in Protecting the Agricultural Supply Chain
    Sep 24 2025

    Join guest host Dr. Liz Specht for a conversation with Dr. Michael Koeris, Director of the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This episode, the fourth in our five-part series, explores national security and defense readiness cases for food manufacturing and DARPA’s role in driving innovation in this sector. The discussion examines DARPA’s broader position within the Department of Defense’s innovation ecosystem and highlights current federal programs that safeguard American agricultural supply chains.https://www.darpa.mil/about/offices/btoTo receive updates about the conference please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-uphttp://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EmergingTechETIhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ndia-eti-emerging-technologies-institutehttps://www.twitter.com/EmergingTechETI

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    37 mins
  • Hackathons – Delivering Relevant Tech to the Warfighter Ahead of Requirements
    Sep 19 2025

    Nick Sinai, former U.S. Deputy CTO and venture capital investor, is a leading authority on federal innovation policy and defense start-ups.

    We spoke to Nick about how hackathons are being used by DOD to address real operational problems outside the formal requirements process.

    Nick explains that these events build networks of talent, expose participants to new tools and datasets, and foster ideas that can sometimes even mature into field-ready solutions. Hackathons give both industry and government a rapid, low-risk way to experiment and learn what the warfighter actually needs.

    To receive updates about the conference please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up

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    15 mins
  • The Age of Biology: Safeguarding America’s Bio-Industrial Edge
    Sep 17 2025

    Join host Dr. Liz Specht for a conversation with Dr. Michelle Rozo, Vice Chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, to discuss why biotechnology is becoming a critical pillar of U.S. national security. Dr. Roso explains how breakthroughs in biomanufacturing promise to secure DoD supply chains and create new defense capabilities, producing key materials like synthetic blood or advanced polymers. The episode explains the evidence that the United States risks losing its lead to China in biotechnology, and outlines legislative recommendations to strengthen the domestic bio-industrial base, including innovative industrial policy tools like advanced market commitments.

    To receive updates about the conference please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-uphttp://emergingtechnologiesinstitute.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EmergingTechETIhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ndia-eti-emerging-technologies-institutehttps://www.twitter.com/EmergingTechETI

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    33 mins
  • NDAA 2026: Breaking Down the Biggest Changes
    Sep 15 2025

    Join host Arun Seraphin for a conversation with defense acquisition expert Moshe Schwartz to discuss how the FY 2026 NDAA is shaping up. Arun and Moshe lean on their deep expertise in the authorization process to break down new provisions that could significantly change how DoD creates requirements, budgets for systems, and works with commercial and non-traditional contractors.

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    42 mins