The 2025 Zero Gravity Summit in Utah united 3,000 leaders and students, highlighting aerospace, defense, AI, energy innovation, and workforce development to secure America’s technological and national security leadership.
Salt Lake City, Utah – November 6, 2025
Nearly 3,000 leaders from government, academia, energy, technology, venture capital, and industry gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center for the 2025 Zero Gravity Summit, hosted by 47G – Utah’s Aerospace and Defense Association – alongside Strider Technologies and Torus Inc. The summit has quickly become a leading national forum for advancing dual-use technology, national security, and workforce development.
Engaging the Next Generation
A hallmark of this year’s summit was the significant student presence. Over 1,000 high school and college students attended, eager to engage with industry leaders and explore career opportunities. Aaron Starks, CEO and President of 47G, opened the event by connecting Utah’s pioneer heritage to today’s innovation ecosystem, noting that “our Pioneer ancestors had the foresight to build here, and the tenacity to persevere through hard times—they created the foundation that we now all stand on. We always build.” He encouraged students to actively pursue opportunities, network, and learn from companies present at the summit, adding that “there is nothing more important to our team than having you with us.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox emphasized the state’s strategic role in energy, technology, and aerospace. Highlighting Utah’s mantra of “built here,” he explained that the state is “focusing on an ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to increase energy production so companies can expand right here, while citizens enjoy reduced power costs.” He also stressed the importance of preparing the next generation to inherit and expand Utah’s leadership, saying, “we understand what it’s going to take for the next generation of our citizens to inherit the greatest nation in the history of the world.”
National Security and Industrial Base
Alan Estevez, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, addressed the role of talent and technology in sustaining a strong industrial base. He emphasized the need to “illuminate our supply chains, modernize our plants, and apply technologies like artificial intelligence to both commercial and defense logistics systems,” adding that “our adversaries are investing heavily in technology; we must ensure America remains the leader in innovation.” Estevez also highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property, fostering innovation, and maintaining an American-led tech stack critical to national defense.
Greg Levesque, CEO and co-founder of Strider Technologies, framed the summit in the context of a global technology competition, saying, “we are in the middle of a tech race that is no different than the Industrial Revolution was 100 years ago. AI, quantum technology, and biotechnology are frontier innovations with no global leader yet—but whoever applies them fastest will lead the future.” He cautioned that “we are witnessing an economic espionage tsunami hitting industry and academia right now” and urged collaboration between industry and academia to defend innovation and secure national interests.
Showcasing Innovation: Project Alta and Emerging Technologies
Utah is positioning itself as a national hub for next-generation aerospace. Brad Wilson, CEO of the Salt Lake City–Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, detailed Project Alta, a pioneering initiative to create a connected air mobility and cargo delivery ecosystem. He explained that “ahead of the 2034 Olympics, we’re building the nation’s first operable Air Mobility ecosystem, connecting Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, and Provo with air taxis and parcel delivery.”
Attendees were able to experience cutting-edge demonstrations, including Fortem Technologies’ autonomous counter-drone system DroneHunter F700, the hybrid air vehicle ElectraFly, Hypercraft’s electric military vehicle, Vector’s Hammer quadcopter, and Torus Inc.’s Spin flywheel energy storage system.
Building Utah’s Future Workforce
Matthew Crowshaw, Chief Operations Officer at 47G, encouraged industry leaders to mentor and connect with students, urging them to “be intellectually curious, connect the dots, and form relationships with future team members. You’ll benefit your company, the ecosystem, and the next generation.” Starks and other speakers echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the summit was as much about workforce development as technology or national security.
Looking Forward
The 2025 Zero Gravity Summit reinforced Utah’s position as a national leader in aerospace, defense, and technology. Brad Wilson concluded with a call to action for attendees, stating, “history will remember the people who were willing to start before everything was certain. Welcome to Salt Lake City…Welcome to the place where we all lift off together.”
Learn more at Zero Gravity Summit.