“Build Here”: 47G’s Zero Gravity Summit Pushes Utah to Become an Aerospace & Defense Powerhouse

Utah stakes a claim in aerospace and defense at 47G’s Zero Gravity summit

Technological innovation on the modern battlefield — especially in the Russia‑Ukraine war — underscored the opening day of 47G’s Zero Gravity conference in Salt Lake City, where industry, government and academic leaders gathered to promote Utah as a national hub for aerospace and defense.

Low-cost drones reshape modern warfare

Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukrainian consul general, told attendees how Ukraine has adapted to a much larger, better-armed adversary by rapidly innovating inexpensive aerial systems. He described squads that operate swarms of mini‑drones and continuously modify them to counter evolving Russian tactics.

“Companies can build some military technology for how profitable it is, but Ukraine has to build because it is our survival,” Kushneruk said. “You don’t have to have very expensive weapons to control the skies.”

47G’s growth and Utah’s ecosystem

Defense technology is one of four pillars for 47G. The two‑day Zero Gravity event at the Salt Palace Convention Center attracted roughly 3,000 attendees and more than 100 exhibitors — nearly quadruple the turnout from last year’s inaugural summit.

Former Utah lawmaker Brad Wilson, who chairs 47G’s board while also leading the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, framed the gathering as a bid to unite and amplify Utah’s aerospace and defense ecosystem.

“The talent is here, the universities and labs are here, the supply chains are here, the open air space is here, the business climate is here — and, most importantly, the collaboration with all of you is here,” Wilson said. “That’s what this summit is built on.”

Aaron Starks, 47G’s president and CEO, noted Utah hosts more than 600 companies with government defense contracts and has long standing capabilities across 47G’s focus areas: defense technology, space, energy and advanced air mobility.

Historical roots and industry commitments

Speakers pointed to historical and recent milestones that bolster Utah’s claim. Upper‑atmosphere research at Utah State University in the 1950s helped create the Space Dynamics Lab. In the early 1970s Utah competed closely with Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to host the Space Shuttle program. More recently, Dugway Proving Ground has seen growing use by both public and private spaceflight operators.

Major companies also have deep ties to the state. Northrop Grumman — an aerospace presence in Utah for more than eight decades — test‑fired rocket engines at Promontory and remains the state’s largest aerospace employer. The company recently opened a roughly 1 million square‑foot facility at Hill Air Force Base and announced plans to add about 1,200 jobs as part of broader work, including activities connected to the modernization of ICBM systems.

State policy and projects: Build here

Gov. Spencer Cox used the summit to amplify a central theme of his second term: re‑energizing U.S. industrial capacity. “We’re building again,” Cox said, summarizing the administration’s mantra as “build here.”

State initiatives aligned with that mantra include:

• Operation Gigawatt — a program aimed at dramatically expanding Utah’s energy production and transmission to support growth in advanced industry.
• Project Alta — launched by 47G to establish regional corridors for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and drone logistics, scaling from small-package delivery to freight and, eventually, passenger transport in partnership with state agencies and federal regulators.
• Spaceport Exploration Committee — a new 13‑member panel co‑chaired by Sen. Ann Millner (R‑Ogden) and UDOT executive director Carlos Braceras, tasked with conducting feasibility studies, site assessments and identifying Utah’s strategic advantages and challenges for potential space launch operations.

What’s next

Organizers and officials framed the summit as a platform to convert momentum into measurable growth: workforce expansion, infrastructure investment, regulatory coordination and new commercial opportunities. With strong public‑private collaboration and a diversified industrial base, Utah aims to strengthen its position in the fast‑evolving fields of defense tech, space operations, energy resilience and advanced air mobility.

Zero Gravity continues through Wednesday, with panels and demos focused on emerging technologies, supply chains and regulatory roadmaps for the next decade.