As the global special operations community prepares to converge on SOF Week 2026 in Tampa next week, National Defense Lab will be on the ground throughout the week engaging with strategic partners, operators, innovators, researchers, and national security leaders helping shape the future of modern defense and irregular warfare.

Hosted annually in partnership with United States Special Operations Command and the Global SOF Foundation, SOF Week has rapidly become one of the most important gatherings in the world for defense technology, operational strategy, emerging capabilities, and cross-sector collaboration. This year’s agenda spans artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, information warfare, cognitive resilience, next-generation operational technology, and the evolving realities of global conflict.

NDL leadership and associates will attend meetings, strategic discussions, industry events, and private partner engagements throughout the week while continuing ongoing conversations on national resilience, cognitive security, information integrity, and advanced defense technologies.

The event represents more than a conference. It is a convergence point for many of the organizations and individuals actively working to solve some of the most difficult challenges facing the United States and its allies. From tactical innovation to strategic deterrence, the discussions taking place during SOF Week increasingly reflect the reality that modern conflict now extends far beyond traditional battlefields.

Opportunities and Context Agendas:

Several themes from this year’s agenda strongly align with ongoing work and research initiatives at NDL, including:

• Artificial intelligence and operational decision support
• Cognitive warfare and influence operations
• Information environment resilience
• Human-machine collaboration
• Irregular warfare modernization
• Autonomous and unmanned systems
• Public-private defense innovation partnerships
• National preparedness and strategic resilience

 
NDL is especially looking forward to reconnecting with existing partners and building relationships with organizations exploring how advanced technologies can responsibly support mission readiness, operational clarity, and long-term strategic stability.

As emerging technologies continue to reshape the defense landscape, events like SOF Week provide a critical opportunity for collaboration between military leadership, private industry, academia, and independent research organizations. The pace of technological change is accelerating rapidly, and meaningful partnerships are increasingly becoming a national security necessity rather than a luxury.

Throughout the week, the NDL team will also be participating in networking events, fundraising engagements, and strategic conversations focused on the future of defense innovation and the operational challenges facing the United States in an increasingly contested information environment.

To those serving, supporting, and defending the United States and its allies, thank you. We look forward to the conversations ahead.

We look forward to seeing everyone next week. 

For more information on SOF Week 2026 and the official agenda, visit: 

SOF Week Agenda

Meet With Us

NDL is always actively meeting with strategic partners, vendors, innovators, researchers, operators, investors, and organizations aligned with the future of defense, resilience, and national security innovation. If your organization will be attending SOF Week 2026, we would welcome the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaboration opportunities.

To schedule a meeting with the NDL team during SOF Week, please contact us or reach out directly through our professional network channels prior to the event.