The University of Pittsburgh joined government, military, industry and academic leaders at the 2026 Pennsylvania Defense & Innovation Summit, held July 14–15 at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to showcase research with clear ties to national security.
Hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, the summit brought together defense, government and research leaders to focus on innovation, the U.S. defense industrial base and Pennsylvania’s growing role in areas such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, space and critical infrastructure.
Pitt was asked to take part in the defense expo, a curated showcase of the Commonwealth’s research, technology and industry strengths. The University’s exhibit highlighted work in defense medicine and defense engineering, with projects and programs from the Center for Military Medicine Research, the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, the Space Engineering Program, the Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine, the NSF Center for Space, High-performance, and Resilient Computing, and engineering programs focused on additive manufacturing, nuclear energy and advanced materials and design.
Together, the examples showed the breadth of Pitt’s defense-related research—from improving care on the battlefield and rehabilitation for veterans to enhancing computing capabilities, and energy systems that can support national security missions.
Pitt attendees included Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob Rutenbar, Vice Chancellor for Research Infrastructure Rob Cunningham, Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Research Strategies Mike Holland, David Brown and Chancellor Joan T. Gabel, who also hosted a panel during the summit.
“Events like this give us a chance to show lawmakers and partners where Pitt research is already connected to the country’s security needs,” said Rob Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research. “That certainly includes military medicine and engineering, but it also includes energy resilience, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and space—areas where universities have an important role to play in preparing for the future.”