| SUMMIT | PROGRAM | SPEAKERS | EXHIBITORS | SPONSOR & EXHIBIT | EVENT COMPLETED |
The New England UAS and AAM Summit 2023, Boarding Pass to the Next Era of Aviation, is co-hosted by AUVSI New England, MassAutonomy, and NDIA New England. The Summit's comprehensive program brings together government, industry, and academic leaders to provide keynote sessions, speaker presentations, and focused discussions that will provide critical insights into the UAS and AAM in society and business today and in the future. The event also features a STEMFest with local students, PitchFest, an exhibit hall, commercial breaks from industry leaders, and ample networking opportunities.
*Program subject to change*
| NEW ENGLAND UAS AND AAM SUMMIT 2023 | |
| Boarding Pass to the Next Era of Aviation | |
| DAY 1 | Wednesday, 4 October 2023 | Burlington, MA |
| 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM | REGISTRATION |
| 8:00 AM - 7:30 PM | EXHIBIT HALL OPEN (Click here for information about this year's Exhibitors.) |
| 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | BREAKFAST |
| 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM | WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS |
| DR. WASEEM NAQVI | |
| President, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Technology Officer, Raytheon Unmanned Vehicle Systems | |
| DR. M. ROMAN HACHKOWSKI | |
| President, NDIA New England | |
| General Manager, Business Unit, L3Harris KEO | |
| PAIGE SCOTT REED | |
| Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Maura T. Healey, Commonwealth of Massachusetts | |
| Counsel, MassAutonomy | |
| Partner, Prince Lobel Tye LLP |
| 9:00 AM - 9:20 AM | KEYNOTE 1 | Roadmap to UAS and AAM Operations |
| JEFFREY VINCENT | |
| Executive Director for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office in Aviation Safety (AVS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
| 9:20 AM - 10:05 AM | SESSION 1 | The Industry's Bright Present and Brighter Future |
| PANEL 1 | Industry Implications for Evolving Regulations | |
| What does the FAA Reauthorization mean for the UAS/AAM industry? There has been increasing pressure from UAS operators who want to conduct a variety of complex operations (BVLOS, deliveries, DFR, etc.) and AAM vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure planners seeking streamlined guidance on how to integrate these new entrants into the NAS. 2023 has shaped up to be a year of significant motion for the FAA. This Reauthorization has a high level of sound input from our representatives to include language that provides the FAA with clear objectives for the future. This panel assembles a group of individuals who will take a closer look at how the recent policy developments help further establish the framework for complex UAS and AAM air vehicle operations. | |
| Moderator: JEFFREY VINCENT | |
| Executive Director for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office in Aviation Safety (AVS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | |
| JOSEPH DONOVAN | |
| Principal, Donovan Strategies LLC | |
| MAX ROSEN | |
| Senior Manager of Government Affairs, Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) | |
| PETER SACHS | |
| UTM Program Manager, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
| 10:05 AM - 10:35 AM | COMMERCIAL BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY |
| 10:35 AM - 11:35 AM | SESSION 1 | The Industry's Bright Present and Brighter Future |
| PANEL 2 | Complex UAS Operations Today | |
| UAS operations are expanding every year, and more operators and solutions providers have successfully figured out how to navigate the regulatory maze to get approvals and are now conducting operations that are providing measurable value. With the evolution of regulations promising to make complex UAS operations more obtainable, this panel will focus on what it takes to conduct those complex UAS operations today – training, safety, and other factors to consider beyond standard UAS operations. The conversation will touch on operations ranging from BVLOS linear infrastructure inspection to unattended drone-in-a-box operations and will compare how these new solutions compare with traditional methods that were in place before. | |
| Moderator: KYLE RYKER | |
| Research Engineer, Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, Mississippi State University | |
| SUZANNE HERRING | |
| Chief Executive Officer, AviSight | |
| ROB KNOCHENHAUER | |
| Director of Regulatory Affairs, Censys Technologies | |
| DR. SUSAN ROBERTS | |
| Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Ondas Holdings |
| 11:35 AM - 12:00 PM | SPECIAL REPORT | UAS in Action: Emergency Response to the July 2023 Flooding in Vermont |
| BENNY BERKENKOTTER | |
| UAS Technician, Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Vermont (UVM) | |
| LAUREN CRESANTI | |
| UAS Technician, Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Vermont (UVM) |
| 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM | LUNCH |
| 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM | KEYNOTE 2 (Lunch Speaker) | An Ethics Ecosystem of AI and Big Data II: Why, What, and How is it going? |
| One of the key challenges we face in the developing AI-based systems in an ethical manner is that we don't yet have a robust ethics ecosystem that helps distribute ethical reasoning, decision-making, and responsibility. This talk showcases what we can do individually and collectively to navigate the increasingly challenging ethical landscape. | |
| DR. JOHN BASL | |
| Associate Professor of Philosophy, Northeastern University |
| 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM | STEMFest |
| Hear from your future leaders! AUVSI NE, in partnership with the NDIA NE Chapter, will provide three groups of high school STEM students an opportunity to present a brief summary of and/or demonstration of their UAS and AAM projects and provide a positive collision between industry – government speakers, attendees, and the STEM students. |
| 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM | BREAK |
| 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM | FIRESIDE CHAT | Massachusetts Leadership in Transportation Innovation |
| Moderator: DR. SCOTT UEBELHART | |
| Director, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Scientist, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) | |
| DR. JEFFREY DECARLO | |
| Administrator, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) |
| SESSION 2 | AAM Taking Off in Massachusetts | |
| 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | PANEL 1 | Charging the Skies: Reinventing Airports for Electric Flight |
| Airport electrification is essential to enabling the development of AAM routes and markets, but requires significant investment, planning, and stakeholder engagement. Supported by a $2 million U.S. DOT SMART Grant, Massachusetts airports are stepping up and leading the path toward realizing EVTOL infrastructure at airports. The panel, with representatives from airports, aviation electric charging developers, and public utilities, will discuss funding and regulatory challenges, the contributions to climate resiliency efforts, and the opportunities for sustainable aviation solutions. | |
| Moderator: FRED BEDARD | |
| Chief, Advanced Air Mobility Initiatives, MassAutonomy | |
| STEVE CONTE | |
| Project Manager for the Massachusetts EV Make Ready Program, Eversource Energy | |
| SAM HOBBS | |
| Manager, EV Charging Systems, BETA Technologies | |
| KATIE SERVIS | |
| Airport Manager, Cape Cod Gateway Airport | |
| OWEN SILBAUGH | |
| Chief Engineer and Director of Airport Engineering, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) |
| 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | COMMERCIAL BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY |
| 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | SESSION 2 | AAM Taking Off in Massachusetts |
| PANEL 2 | A Real-World Perspective for AAM Planning and Implementation | |
| Regional roll-out of AAM technologies requires more than just aircraft and electrification: it also requires a deep operational understanding of how these vehicles will integrate into the local air traffic routes, regional airport new maintenance training and technology, infrastructure, and local communities. This panel will describe active flights taking place across New England, with both surrogate aircraft and prototype electric aircraft, and review lessons learned thus far. | |
| Moderator: DR. SCOTT UEBELHART | |
| Director, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Scientist, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) | |
| TERRENCE MCKENNA | |
| Chief Technologist, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) | |
| GALEN WILSON | |
| Department Head, Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT), Westfield Technical Academy (WTA) High School | |
| DR. HECTOR XU | |
| Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rotor |
| 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM | RECAP & CLOSING REMARKS |
| DR. WASEEM NAQVI | |
| President, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Technology Officer, Raytheon Unmanned Vehicle Systems |
| 5:15 - 7:55 PM | RECEPTION |
| Meet the exhibitors, see the drones flying in the net, visit the anechoic chamber, or network with your friends and colleagues. Join us for an excellent opportunity to engage with the day's speakers and other leaders in the industry. |
| NEW ENGLAND UAS AND AAM SUMMIT 2023 | |
| Boarding Pass to the Next Era of Aviation | |
| DAY 2 | Thursday, 5 October 2023 | Burlington, MA |
| 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | REGISTRATION OPEN |
| 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | EXHIBIT HALL OPEN (Click here for information about this year's Exhibitors.) |
| 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM | BREAKFAST |
| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS |
| Welcome: DR. SCOTT UEBELHART | |
| Director, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Scientist, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) | |
| MONICA TIBBITS-NUTT | |
| Acting Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) |
| 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | KEYNOTE 4 | Counter UAS |
| BRIGADIER GENERAL (R.) PETER L. JONES | |
| U.S. Army |
| 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM | KEYNOTE 5 | FAA Perspectives on Counter UAS Development and Deployment |
| Introduction: LORI DEMATTEIS | |
| Chief Revenue Officer, MatrixSpace | |
| ABIGAIL SMITH | |
| Executive Director, Office of UAS and Emerging Entrants Security, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
| 9:50 AM - 10:30 AM | SESSION 3 | Counter UAS Deployment in the Real World |
| PANEL 1 | CUAS Regulatory Environment: Today and Tomorrow | |
| How do we protect our cities, airports, and critical infrastructure? What do vendors need to think about in supporting these end users, as well as the evolution of UTM as the information hub? | |
| Fireside Chat Moderator: ABIGAIL SMITH | |
| Executive Director, Office of UAS and Emerging Entrants Security, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | |
| PATRICIA BASKINGER | |
| Chief Executive Officer, AX Enterprize | |
| MICHELLE A. DUQUETTE | |
| Portfolio Manager, MITRE Corporation | |
| DAVID KOVAR | |
| Founder and Chief Executive Officer, URSA Inc. | |
| SUZANNE LEMIEUX | |
| Director, Operations Security and Emergency Response Policy, American Petroleum Institute |
| 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | COMMERCIAL BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY |
| 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | SESSION 3 | Counter UAS Deployment in the Real World |
| PANEL 2 | CUAS in Action: Experiences from CUAS Operations in the New England Region | |
| New England is at the vanguard in developing systems and partnerships that enable state- and local-level counter-UAS operations. This panel will describe the UAS threats the region is facing and discuss partnership opportunities for developing and deploying counter-UAS and airspace awareness technologies. | |
| Moderator: RODOLFO CUEVAS | |
| CUAS Program Lead, Aeronautics Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) | |
| PETER GANNON | |
| Deputy Director, Corporate Security and Emergency Management, Massport | |
| DR. THOMAS "T.J." SWENSON JR. | |
| Regional Protective Security Advisor (PSA), Region 1 (New England), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) | |
| CHRIS WILLENBORG, C.M. | |
| Airport Manager, Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport |
| 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM | LUNCH |
| 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM | PitchFest / STEMFest |
| Grab your lunch and join us for short "pitch" presentations by government, non-profit, university, and start-up innovators about their UAS and AAM-related services, research, needs, and innovations. And join us for Day 2 of STEMFest, where high school STEM students present a brief summary of their UAS and AAM projects. |
| 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM | TRANSITION TO OUTDOOR PANELS |
 |
INTERACTIVE PANELS & DEMONSTRATIONS |
| Day 2 of the Summit offers actionable sessions you can use immediately. We'll provide a blueprint for complex UAS operations, including BVLOS and Drone as First Responder (DFR) use cases, performing realistic but “pseudo-operations” in the field. We'll head outside for live demonstrations. (Weather-dependent.) | |
| Demonstrations made possible by Northeastern's on-site drone lab. |
| 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM | PANEL 1 | Blueprint for BVLOS: A Showcase of Critical Technology Used to Enable BVLOS Operations |
| A simulated BVLOS operation with a Censys VTOL aircraft in a flight area monitored by MatrixSpace Radar and the Dedrone drone detection systems and MassDOT Aeronautics WISP IR detection system, flown under Part 107. Censys will discuss navigating waivers for BVLOS, while MatrixSpace, Dedrone, MassDOT Aeronautics Advanced Aviation Technologies Program, and Cambridge Consultants will outline the importance of layered sensing solutions for safe and secure airspace and the development of scalable BVLOS communications. | |
| Demonstration Participants: | |
| CAMBRIDGE CONSULTANTS | |
| CENSYS TECHNOLOGIES | |
| DEDRONE | |
| MASSDOT AERONAUTICS ADVANCED AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM | |
| MATRIXSPACE |
| 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | COMMERCIAL BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM | PANEL 2 | Blueprint for Drone as First Responder (DFR): A Showcase of Critical Technology to Enable DFR Operation |
| A simulated DFR BVLOS response showing the critical technology elements required, with first responders narrating the live demonstration - an incoming emergency call and a semi-automated/automated response to provide UAV surveillance of the incident area. Sensors detect and track the DFR vehicle while also keeping the airspace clear of intruders. | |
| Demonstration Participants: | |
| AXON | |
| BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT | |
| COUNTERDRONE | |
| MASSDOT AERONAUTICS ADVANCED AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM | |
| MATRIXSPACE | |
| TEAM OF FIRST RESPONDERS |
| 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM | RECAP & CLOSING REMARKS |
| DR. WASEEM NAQVI | |
| President, AUVSI New England | |
| Chief Technology Officer, Raytheon Unmanned Vehicle Systems |
CO-HOSTED BY:
 |
 |
 |
SPONSORED BY:
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
