Driving Faster Production and Technology Superiority: The Evolving Role of the CTO
9–10 September 2026
The MITRE Corporation, Building 4
7596 Colshire Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102-7539

Featured Keynote Speakers

  • Cadenazzi

    The Honorable
    Michael Cadenazzi
    Assistant Secretary of
    War for Industrial Base
    Policy

  • Christensen

    Carissa Christensen
    Founder and CEO,
    BryceTech

  • Costa

    Timothy Costa, Ph.D.
    Vice President and
    General Manager,
    Industrial and
    Computational
    Engineering, NVIDIA

  • Jewell

    The Honorable Joseph
    Jewell, Ph.D.
    Assistant Secretary of
    War for Science and
    Technology

  • Lusczakoski

    Jon Lusczakoski
    Partner, AE Industriall

  • Mehta

    Aalok Mehta, Ph.D.
    Director, Wadhwani
    AI Center, Center
    for Strategic and
    International Studies

  • Thacker

    Michael Thacker
    Senior Vice President of Engineering, Pratt & Whitney

The Summit will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule to encourage candid and open dialogue.

The 2026 AIAA CTO Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only, 1.5-day gathering of Chief Technology Officers, Chief Scientists, and senior technology and business leaders from across the aerospace enterprise. The Summit brings together technology executives, customers, investors, and innovators to address a defining question for the aerospace industry.

How do we both achieve technology superiority and scale production faster?

The 2025 CTO Summit themes of AI, Autonomy, and Digital Thread have continued to advance at a remarkable pace. Yet over the last year, the challenge facing aerospace CTOs has accelerated dramatically and become more complex. Technological superiority alone is no longer enough. Across national security, space, and civil aviation, the pressure to scale production, compress timelines from concept to fielding, and build more resilient supply chains has intensified. Venture capital, private equity, and broader capital inflows are reshaping where innovation originates, how quickly it advances, and how rapidly it transitions to mission impact. Lessons from adjacent sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing, have become increasingly relevant to aerospace leaders.

At the Summit, participants will exchange hard-earned lessons, engage directly with key stakeholders, and help prioritize approaches to adopt and actions that will be taken to support the ecosystem in a candid, non-attributable environment designed for open discussion and collaboration.

Attire: Business casual.

Hotel: Archer Hotel Tysons Corner, the closest hotel to the venue. Please book your accommodation directly via the hotel's website. Join us for a reception, dinner, and networking event on 9 September at the Archer Hotel Tysons Corner.

Travel and Parking: Complimentary parking is available at MITRE Building 4 from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Driving directions and Metro information are available here. The Archer Hotel Tysons Corner offers valet parking for $16 per vehicle for event attendees.

Corporate Member Benefit
Erich Fischer Quote
Clay Mowry Quote
Keoki Jackson Quote

The Summit In Photos

Registration

Corporate Membership Team

Elizabeth Just
Senior Manager, Client Executive and Sales Capture, New Clients A–N
Elizabethj@aiaa.org
Office: 703.264.7541
Cell: 571.439.4672

Matt Halas
Manger, Client Executive and Sales Capture, New Clients O–Z
Matth@aiaa.org
Cell: 513-500-0664

Vickie Singer
Senior Director, Sales and Corporate Membership, and Sales Capture
Vickies@aiaa.org
Cell: 443.629.9013

Chris Semon
Director, Enterprise Accounts
Chriss@aiaa.org
Office: 703.264.7510
Cell: 703.599.8444