Registration will be opening soon
Connecting Innovators in National Security
The FutureG Office within the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), alongside the Government of Finland, is co-hosting the two-day International ISAC Innovation Forum. The forum will be dedicated to discussing the collective opportunities and challenges in developing and adopting ISAC capabilities. Likewise, this forum will provide a collaborative environment for policymakers, technical experts, and industry leaders to identify complimentary capabilities across nations and better align our strategic priorities and technology development efforts – leading towards rapid development of innovative solutions that are interoperable and resilient
Why Attend?
Our Purpose
In late 2023, the FutureG Office established Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) as a new strategic line of effort. This focus reflects:
- The growing body of theoretical and applied work showing the feasibility of using communication signals for sensing.
- The anticipated inclusion of ISAC capabilities in 6G standards.
- Significant global investments in ISAC by other nation states.
In 2025, the ISAC Strategy Summit brought together experts from commercial industry, government, and academia to:
- Establish a community of ISAC practitioners.
- Provide technical analysis and collateral materials for a U.S. ISAC strategy in both commercial and defense sectors.
The strong interest from partner nations in ISAC and related US Government efforts suggested the utility in convening the International ISAC Innovation Forum. Together with Business Finland and VTT, we seek to discover areas of mutual interest to advance the state of the art and state of the practice of ISAC and its related topics.
GMU is a leading research institution supporting innovation at the intersection of engineering, security, and advanced communications. Through initiatives like the ISAC Summit, GMU convenes experts across domains to drive forward U.S. leadership in critical technologies.
Meet our
Leadership Team
Dr. Thomas Rondeau
Principal Director for the FutureG Office
Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))
Dr. Tom Rondeau
Principal Director for the FutureG Office
Dr. Tom Rondeau is the Principal Director for the FutureG Office for the US Department of Defense, serving in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). In this role, Dr. Rondeau is responsible for the research, funding, and execution of programs to advance warfighting capabilities using future-generation wireless technologies. Before assuming his role as Principal Director of the FutureG Office, Dr. Rondeau spent more than six years as a Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) program manager, where he led efforts that challenged and advanced studies in a variety of warfighting domains, earning him the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Prior to joining DARPA, Dr. Rondeau led the GNU Radio project, consulted on wireless communications problem sets, and worked as a visiting researcher with the University of Pennsylvania and as an Adjunct with the IDA Center for Communications Research in Princeton, NJ.
Dr. Rondeau holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, where his dissertation won the Council of Graduate Schools’ 2007 Outstanding Dissertation Award in math, science, and engineering.
Mr. Marlan Macklin
Deputy Principal Director for FutureG
Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))
Mr. Marlan Macklin
Deputy Principal Director for FutureG
Mr. Marlan Macklin is the Deputy Principal Director for FutureG within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). The FutureG Office guides U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) research, funding, and execution of programs that develop capabilities leveraging 5G and future generation wireless technologies. In his current position, Mr. Macklin is responsible for ensuring the office’s strategic alignment, providing program execution oversight, and overseeing budget execution.
Prior to joining OUSD(R&E), Mr. Macklin served in the U.S. Mission to NATO as Chief of the Communications & Electronics Division and Deputy to the Director for Armaments, Communications & Electronics. The directorate provided technical and political-military advice to the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, the Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe, and DoD leadership for equities including acquisition, C3, innovation, and emerging technologies.
Dr. Martin Weiss
Director for FutureG Applied Research
Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))
Dr. Martin Weiss
DIRECTOR FOR FUTUREG APPLIED RESEARCH
Dr. Martin Weiss is currently the Director for FutureG Applied Research, and Technical Lead for Resilient and Open Commercial Solutions within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. In this capacity, Dr. Weiss oversees multiple efforts to promote FutureG applied research which enable government, academia, and industry to build commercially useful solutions to meet the Department of Defense’s wireless communications needs.
Prior to joining the FutureG Office, Dr. Weiss was a Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems in the School of Computing and Information and is Associate Director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh. He was a founding member of SpectrumX, a National Science Foundation-funded Spectrum Innovation Institute. He earned his PhD. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Science in Engineering in Computer, Control, and Information Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. His research interest is on the governance of technological systems and infrastructures. He has been studying dynamic spectrum access, and the economic perspective of spectrum sharing and mobile telecommunication standards such as 3GPP.
Event Schedule
Agenda
| Time (EST) | Event | Duration | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Breakfast | 1H | |
| 9:00 | Plenary | 3H | Welcome Remarks (from senior U.S. and Finnish officials) Keynote: (TBD) Session 1: Panel on ISAC: Vision of ISAC in Our Future: Long-term and Short-term Perspectives Break Session 2: Panel on Frameworks and Perspectives on International Cooperation Session 3: Panel on Transforming Industries, Commercialization, and Market Development |
| 12:00 | Lunch | 1H 30M | Opportunity to view posters, demonstrations, and network |
| 13:30 | Technical Sessions | 3H | Keynote: (TBD) Session 4: Panel on Transforming Defense and Government Break Session 5: Panel on Spectrum Policy and Regulatory Alignment Additional opportunity to view posters, demonstrations, and network |
| 17:30 | Networking: Finland-Led Reception | 2H |
| Time (EST) | Event | Duration | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Breakfast | 1H | |
| 9:00 | Technical Sessions | 3H | Day 1 Summary Industry Plenary Talk: Invited industry speaker(s) Break Session 6: Invited talks on ISAC Enabling Technologies |
| 12:00 | Lunch | 1H 30M | Breakout sessions: Topics including AI, standards, spectrum management |
| 13:30 | Technical Sessions | 3H | Highlights from lunch breakout sessions Session 7: Panel on Interoperability and Opportunities with OCUDU Session 8: Panel on Joint R&D and Innovation Ecosystems Break Session 9: Panel on Workforce and Talent Development End of Summit: Closing Remarks |
Event Location
The Fuse at Mason Square
(Day 1-2)
3401 Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22201
Event Speakers
Speakers & Panels
Coming soon
Visit
Travel & Accommodations
* We’ve secured discounted group rates at two conveniently located in Arlington, VA for attendees of the George Mason – ISAC Strategy Summit 2026. Book your stay by the deadline**, to take advantage of the special rates.
*Westin Arlington
Address: 801 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22203
Hotel Website
Closest Metro Station: Ballston-MU – Orange and Silver Lines
Group Dates: May 20–23, 2025
Rate: $199.00 USD per night
**Last Day to Book: Monday, May 11, 2026
*Hilton Arlington
Address: 950 N Stafford St. Arlington, VA 22203
Hotel Website
Closest Metro Station: Ballston-MU – Orange and Silver Lines
Group Dates: May 20–23, 2025
Rate: $269.00 USD per night
**Last Day to Book: Monday, April 20, 2026
Nearest Airports:
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – 5.5 Miles (Recommended)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) – 21 Miles
Metro & Public Transit:
• Nearest Metro Stop to Event Venue: Virginia Square-GMU
Directions from Airports via Metro:
• From DCA: Blue Line to Rosslyn → Transfer to Orange Line to Ballston-MU
• From IAD: Silver Line to Ballston-MU
Walking Distance from recommended hotels: ~20-25 minutes
Rideshare: Uber, Lyft, Taxi available
Parking & Transportation
Van Meter Hall Parking Garage
Address: Founders Way N, Arlington, VA 22226
Parking Info
Cost: $19/day, $5 for 1 hour, $4/hour for 2-4 hours, $17 for 5 hours
Fuse Parking Garage