Critical Technologies Assessment Workshop (USDRE)

Join the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in partnership with AFCEA International, on January 15-16, 2025, for a classified seminar and workshop to assist the Department in its ability to assess technology risk and opportunity.  Attendees from the public and private sectors will collaboratively create a process framework with technology assessment criteria to underpin an annual cycle to review the USD(R&E) list of Critical Technology Areas (CTAs).

During two days at The Aerospace Corporation in Chantilly, Virginia, participants will:

• Hear from R&E leadership about the legislative mandate and vision for annually and dynamically assessing the Department’s critical technologies
• Learn about the latest strategic and operational threats that highlight the critical need for a process that strengthens the timeliness, relevance, and currency of Departmental critical technology investment 
• Listen to industry leaders share their best practices for identifying critical technologies
• Participate in facilitated conversations to help design a process that:
  • Fairly assesses CTAs against the threat
  • Assesses – based on criteria developed during the seminar – the existing CTA list to propose additions and/or deletions
  • Ensures broad socialization across stakeholders in recommending changes to the CTA list   

For private sector participants, this is not a business development event and participation by your cleared technologists, strategists, and IRAD-focused team members is highly desired. Cleared members of your corporate development team are also encouraged to attend.

Participants should be willing to participate in group discussions and should also plan to attend both days of the workshop, including the presentation of group recommendations on Day 2 (January 16).