UND Continues to Help Grow Region’s UAS Ecosystem

(By Joe Banish. UND Today) – Last week, hundreds of experts in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) gathered at the Alerus Center to discuss the field’s latest technological advancements and potential for continued innovation.

Now in its 19^th year, the UAS Summit and Expo continues to grow in stature – bringing together academics, defense leaders and key industry players each October in Grand Forks.

The summit is operated by BBI International, a Grand Forks-based conference producer and publisher of UAS-oriented trade journals. With 750 registered attendees representing 35 states and six countries, October’s summit was the largest in the event’s history.

Proclaiming the 2025 summit’s theme as “accessing America’s UAS proving grounds,” John Nelson, chief operating officer at BBI, called the region’s UAS ecosystem “the nation’s hub for unmanned innovation.”

Erin Roesler, deputy executive director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.

“I often get asked, ‘why North Dakota?,’” she said. “And my answer is slightly unconventional. I say it’s because we don’t have enough people. We don’t have time for competition or silos. Collaboration isn’t a strategy; it’s survival.”