National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Michigan Chapter’s GVSETS provides the opportunity to network and share technical research to more than 2,500 attendees. GVSETS will be held August 11 – 13, 2026, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

NDIA Michigan Chapter is dedicated to enhancing and modernizing warfighter capabilities, while finding solutions for gaps which are becoming more aggressive and complex. The first day of GVSETS brings together technical experts from government, academia, and industry who will present research in specific topic areas where gaps have been identified, then open up the floor for discussion purposes. The focus of this year’s GVSETS technical sessions is presenting technology which supports the U.S. Military’s future ground maneuver concepts, systems, and formations.

In support of the Technical Sessions, all scientists and engineers are invited to submit papers which provide the ground maneuver and logistics community with increased understanding of technology. Technical paper topics can be found here.

Submission Deadline: March 5, 2026

Paper Presentations: August 11, 2026

The Call for Technical Demonstrations Proposals will be released after the New Year. We are changing it up this year and the opportunity to submit a proposal to demonstrate a capability will be open to all. Details to follow.

Exhibitor and sponsorship information will be available in February 2026.

For more information about GVSETS, contact GVSETSpapers@ndia-mich.org or GVSETS@ndia-mich.org.

Michigan Regional Future City Competition

Competition Day: Tuesday, January 20, 2026

This fall, middle school students began work on the Future City Competition; a project-based learning program where students work as a team with an educator and volunteer mentor to design a city of the future. This year’s theme is Farm to Table. Teams will design a city that eliminates food waste from farm to table and keeps its citizens healthy and safe.

We are looking for engineers and technical professionals to serve as judges on competition day to evaluate team presentations, models and Q & A. The role of a competition day judge is to draw on their expertise and resources to fairly evaluate the team’s efforts. Training will be at 8:15 a.m. the morning of the competition, Tuesday, Jan. 20. The actual judging is from 9 – 11 a.m.

To Volunteer as a Judge

Visit https://futurecity.org/register/ to sign up as a judge. Please be sure to select the Regional judging category and choose Michigan as your region. 

For questions on judging, contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.

Consider a Sponsorship

Sponsors help offset costs which allows ESD to continue offering this valuable STEM program to students across the state. Future City is an innovate and fun way to introduce middle school students to engineering and a rewarding career they might not otherwise have considered. Click here for sponsorship details or contact Allison Marrs at 248-353-0735, ext. 121 or amarrs@esd.org.

Sponsored by ESD’s Affiliate Council

Holiday Toy Drive

December 6, 10 and 13, 2025

Join ESD and its affiliated technical societies in making a difference this holiday season by supporting children in need, including those without parents and those sheltering with mothers who have recently escaped domestic violence situations.

Bring new, unwrapped toys and essential items for boys and girls ages infant – 18 to ESD Headquarters, 20700 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, on the following dates:

• Saturday, December 6, 2025 (12 – 3 p.m. North Parking Lot)
• Wednesday, December 10, 2025 (11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Inside ESD office, Suite 450)
• Saturday, December 13, 2025 (12 – 3 p.m. North Parking Lot)

Toy donations will support the Methodist Children’s Home Society in Redford and the Ennis Center for Children in Port Huron.

For more information contact Elana Shelef at eshelef@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 119.