PART ONE: Utah's Hard Tech Week Begins Today, with 47G's Two-Day "Zero Gravity Summit" Anchoring Five Days of Events

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

✅ Utah's Hard Tech Week begins today, 26 October 2026, with at least 21 scheduled events focused on aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, "hard tech," and related industries on the agenda.

✅ The centerpiece is 47G's two-day Zero Gravity Summit, which attracted 2,200 attendees, 58 speakers, and 75 exhibitors in 2025, with perhaps 3,000+ execs attending this year's Summit.

✅ 47G is working with Utah Tech Week and Nucleus to launch Hard Tech Week; in combo they are bringing together companies, government agencies, investors, and industry leaders to investigate, support, and promote Utah's expanding hard-technology economy.

26 October 2026 — SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's inaugural Hard Tech Week begins today to bring together aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, and technology companies for five days of conferences, demonstrations, facility tours, and networking events, anchored by the two-day Zero Gravity Summit hosted and produced by 47G.

Hard Tech Week represents a collaborative effort by 47G, Utah Tech Week, and The Nucleus Institute, combining an established aerospace and defense industry association with organizations involved in Utah's technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation communities.

Running through Friday, 30 October, the week's principal attraction is clearly the Zero Gravity Summit being held this Wednesday and Thursday at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

According to the Summit's published historical figures, the 2025 gathering drew 2,200 attendees, 58 speakers, and 75 exhibitors; personally, I won't be surprised to see the Summit surpass 3,000 attendees this week.

47G's Expanding Role in Utah and Beyond

Utah-based 47G has emerged as a prominent aerospace, defense, and national security industry association, connecting private companies with government agencies, research institutions, investors, and other industry participants.

Founded in 2022 as the Utah Aerospace and Defense Association (UADA) and rebranded as 47G in October 2023, 47G has now grown to over 200 partnerships spanning industry, academia, and government, a cohort the 501(c)(6) nonprofit describes as

"... the Fastest-Growing Aerospace, Defense, & Hard Tech Ecosystem Nationwide."

That network is particularly relevant in a state with major defense and aerospace operations, including such entities as Hill Air Force Base and the Utah Test and Training Range, as well as numerous private companies developing technologies for military, space, and commercial applications.

While Utah has attracted national attention for its software and financial technology companies for close to half-a-century, the state's even longer relevance in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing represent another substantial source of investment, government contracts, manufacturing activity, and employment for the state of Utah and its citizens.

Naturally, these businesses frequently require significant capital for research, product development, testing, and manufacturing before achieving commercial scale.

As a result, relationships with government customers, major contractors, investors, and specialized suppliers can be particularly important.

In my opinion, that is part of what makes this week's Hard Tech Week relevant beyond the conference itself.

Beyond the Zero Gravity Summit

Although the Summit is obviously the week's centerpiece, the broader Hard Tech Week schedule includes numerous independently organized gatherings.

And, honestly, several events slated for this week have snagged my attention beyond the Summit itself. Among them are
🟣 The Hard Tech Week Opening Party;
🟣 The New Acquisition Playbook event;
🟣 The Future of Physical AI Summit 2026;
🟣 The Hard Tech Networking Night;
🟣 The Beehive Energy Alliance Happy Hour;
🟣 The AI and the Future of Higher Education: Leadership Roundtable; and
🟣 From the Space Shuttle to Mars (featuring Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman speaking on the topic of "When Failure Isn't an Option").

Of course, attending all of them is another matter, what with overlapping schedules and the distances separating venues; clearly, I'll have to make some hard choices (pun intended).

But I feel the range of subjects is worth noting, particularly the intersection of defense procurement, artificial intelligence, energy, higher education, aerospace technologies, and more.

For those interested in participating, the official Hard Tech Week webpage provides event details and registration information.

Naturally, the week's significance is anchored largely with 47G and the Zero Gravity Summit.

That said, I have this sneaking suspicion that buttressing the Zero Gravity Summit with Hard Tech Week activities has the potential for even bigger things to come.

But, for now, let's watch how this first Hard Tech Week does.

In the meantime, I hope you'll take a moment to say "Hi" if you see me at one or more events this week.

COMING THIS AFTERNOON: PART TWO — A closer look at the Zero Gravity Summit, its speakers, participating organizations, and the business opportunities surrounding Utah's aerospace, defense, and national security industries.

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