Growing the defense industry in Hampton Roads: First-time summit held in Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. — A first-time defense summit brought hundreds to downtown Norfolk’s Hilton Main on Tuesday.

The Ironclad Maritime Summit is hosted in partnership with Newport News Shipbuilding, Hampton Roads Alliance and the city of Norfolk. It features a day-long agenda of discussions about the state of the defense industry, where it’s going in the future and how Hampton Roads can best set itself up for investment.

Panelists include Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01), Newport News Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson and General Dynamics EVP Rob Smith.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao is scheduled to be the Keynote Speaker for a closed lunch.

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