UAS Summit & Expo 2026

About UAS Summit & Expo

UAS Summit & Expo is an uncrewed aircraft industry summit and exhibition scheduled for 13 October–14 October 2026 at Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. What distinguishes the event is its North Dakota setting connects conference discussion with an active regional ecosystem for government, military and commercial flight. The published format uses industry presentations, policy and operational discussion, networking and an exhibition focused on the commercial UAS market. This structure lets participants follow the relationship between commercial UAS development and autonomous flight systems, while also seeing how remote sensing and payloads affects real systems and programmes. UAS Summit & Expo is relevant to space and aerospace organisations because space companies working in autonomy, remote sensing, navigation and resilient communications share technology and suppliers with the UAS sector. The 20th annual UAS summit should therefore be read through its primary technical identity, not described as a generic space conference. The current UAS Summit & Expo programme remains the authority for individual sessions, contributors and access arrangements.

Event history and organiser

The 2026 gathering is the 20th annual UAS Summit & Expo, rooted in the Grand Forks region’s established drone research and flight-test activity. Current information for this 20th annual UAS summit is published by UAS Magazine and BBI International. The 2026 meeting at Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States gives this 20th annual UAS summit a specific setting; it does not imply that every earlier programme, contributor or participation condition will repeat. Its continuing identity rests on commercial UAS development, autonomous flight systems and the specialist community working across those areas. The development of this 20th annual UAS summit also reflects a wider shift towards remote sensing and payloads in aerospace and adjacent technical sectors. For UAS Summit & Expo 2026, UAS Magazine and BBI International is the authority for current edition facts, while the linked institutional source provides context for the event family and organising relationship.

Topics and themes

The 2026 programme connects its central subjects through the event’s uncrewed aircraft industry summit and exhibition format, giving each theme a clear relationship to the wider technical purpose.

• Commercial UAS development: the programme connects autonomous flight systems with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by drone manufacturers.
• Autonomous flight systems: the programme connects remote sensing and payloads with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by autonomy and payload teams.
• Remote sensing and payloads: the programme connects government and military operations with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by government operators.
• Government and military operations: the programme connects UAS testing and market growth with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by commercial UAS companies.
• UAS testing and market growth: the programme connects commercial UAS development with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by regional research organisations.

Who should attend?

The 20th annual UAS summit is principally for drone manufacturers, autonomy and payload teams and government operators. These groups can use its programme to compare work on commercial UAS development with developments in autonomous flight systems, identify relevant research or suppliers and understand the constraints shaping implementation. Commercial UAS companies bring a complementary perspective where the programme reaches remote sensing and payloads, while regional research organisations may find value in sessions closest to their current responsibilities. The 20th annual UAS summit is less suitable for unrelated general-interest visits because its usefulness depends on a defined technical or professional connection. Prospective attendees should check the current programme before registering.

Practical information

The 20th annual UAS summit is scheduled for 13 October–14 October 2026 at Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. Before travelling to UAS Summit & Expo 2026, confirm the current programme, registration status, venue access and event-specific conditions through the official information. Anyone attending UAS Summit & Expo 2026 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States should also recheck local transport, accommodation and arrival instructions before making bookings.