In a time of renewed focus on American competitiveness, this opening session will set the tone for the day with strategic insights on how the U.S. will strengthen its industrial base, deliver infrastructure more efficiently, and reinforce energy and supply chain resilience.

Powering America’s Next Industrial Wave

Access to reliable, affordable energy is now the defining factor shaping where and how America builds. As demand from manufacturing, construction, and data centers accelerates, grid constraints and rising power costs are increasingly determining project feasibility and timelines.

This session explores how the U.S. can expand capacity, enhance grid resilience, and integrate on-site and distributed energy solutions to meet surging industrial demand — while aligning energy independence goals with the practical realities of onshoring and rapid infrastructure delivery.

Low-Waste Innovation, American-Made Inputs, and Durable Design

The materials that power construction and manufacturing — from concrete and steel to glass, timber, and insulation — are evolving to meet today’s performance and cost demands. This session explores how circular design principles, reuse strategies, and advanced production techniques are helping to extend material life, reduce project waste, and enhance resilience across supply chains.

With federal and private sector buyers increasingly focused on long-term performance and lifecycle value, speakers will explore where innovation, procurement, and policy intersect to scale smarter material choices.

How digital design tools and automation are reshaping how America builds

From building information modelling (BIM) to advanced simulations and automation, digital tools are rapidly improving how we design and deliver projects. This session looks at how early-phase digitisation reduces inefficiencies, prevents rework, and unlocks the full benefits of AI across construction and manufacturing.

The conversation will also examine how public-sector innovation initiatives — including those focused on permitting technologies and infrastructure delivery — are helping to normalise the use of digital design in federally supported projects.

Fast-Tracking Projects Through Smarter Permitting, Procurement and Delivery Tools

Getting infrastructure and industrial projects off the ground requires alignment between approvals, capital, and delivery. This session highlights practical, bipartisan efforts to reduce red tape — from modernised permitting workflows to more flexible procurement models and financing mechanisms.

With examples drawn from both federal and state initiatives, this discussion offers insight into how these tools can reduce delivery timelines, increase cost certainty, and unlock innovation at scale.

Reusing Facilities, Modernising Production, and Strengthening Regional Industry

America’s next generation of industrial growth will come from both new investment and smarter reuse of existing sites. This session explores how cities, states, and the private sector are breathing new life into underutilised facilities, corridors, and industrial parks — using modern equipment, electrification, and circular approaches to create productive, future-ready hubs.

Speakers will discuss practical strategies, from adaptive reuse to regional development coordination, that are making industrial revitalisation a cornerstone of American economic resilience.

Reshoring, Regional Strength, and the Future of U.S. Manufacturing

As global markets shift, U.S. manufacturing is increasingly viewed as a national asset  – critical to competitiveness, supply chain security, and economic growth. This fireside conversation will reflect on what it takes to build lasting industrial capacity across the country, and the role that public-private collaboration, innovation, and investment will play in making “Made in America” a long-term reality.