Getting ahead of the threat

The pace of technological and tactical change means today's advantage can be tomorrow's vulnerability. The 2027 ITEC theme addresses how military forces and the wider defence enterprise must anticipate emerging threats rather than simply respond to them, shaping training and education so that readiness is built ahead of the operational curve, not behind it. 

This is not about matching adversary capability. It's about outpacing it. 

Forces must build mission preparation and training pipelines, synthetic environments, and human performance foundations that let their personnel adapt faster than the threat evolves. Through themes of outpacing the drone threat, the human advantage and cognitive edge, connectivity by design and workforce readiness, ITEC discussions accelerate readiness and decision advantage from the individual operator through to joint and coalition force integration. 

Apply now to join the 2027 speaker cohort:

Submission Guide (opens in a new tab)
Submit your Extract (opens in a new tab)

 

Conference Thematic Areas of Interest for 2027:

Lessons from Ukraine, the Middle East and other current conflicts show that autonomous, semi-autonomous and remotely operated systems are now central to modern operations, force protection and tactical adaptation. This theme explores how training and simulation can prepare operators and commanders to operate against and alongside uncrewed capabilities across the air, land, maritime and subsurface domains. It considers AI-enabled autonomy, swarming, human-machine teaming, electronic warfare, contested and communications-denied environments, and integrated counter-autonomy capabilities. It also examines how synthetic environments, simulated ranges and rapidly refreshable scenarios can accelerate experimentation, mission rehearsal and the translation of operational lessons into effective training.

As systems become more complex and information environments more contested, advantage increasingly depends on human judgement, adaptability and decision-making under pressure. This theme considers how training and simulation can develop cognitive preparedness, critical thinking, resilience, human-machine teaming and team performance. It includes cognitive load, information manipulation, mission rehearsal, knowledge at point of need, and training for ambiguity, uncertainty and deception rather than procedure alone. 

Effective training depends on credible, connected, and reusable simulation environments that can operate across services, domains and coalition partners. This theme considers Live, Virtual and Constructive integration, systems of systems, data standards, model reuse, distributed architectures,  synthetic terrain, modelled actions and effects in MDO context and after-action review. It also addresses trust in simulation through fidelity, validation, verification, accreditation, acceptance, data provenance, security, IP, and governance.  

This theme considers how the integrated force and proposed One Defence plans can be prepared and sustained through adaptive learning, distributed training, instructor support, AI-enabled wargaming, modular upgrades and minimum viable training capability. It also explores how operational lessons, workforce demands, and technology change can be converted into deployable capability at pace. 

 

Submission Guide (opens in a new tab)
Submit your Extract (opens in a new tab)

 

Advantages of becoming a speaker

  • Showcase your research and innovation.
  • A platform to be seen as an industry thought leader.
  • Share your insight and raise awareness of the industry challenges
  • Be heard by a broad audience of senior leaders in the government, military and training technology community.
  • Receive mentorship and guidance from our committee members on your paper.
  • Attend the conference for free and network at the exhibition
  • Be in the running to win the Best Paper Award, if your application is successful.

Interested in speaking outside of the technical conference? Email our Head of Content here.

ITEC

 

ITEC's Theatres

New Horizons Keynote Theatre

The New Horizons Theatre, positioned as ITEC’s keynote, signifies a move to focus the event on the technologies and training needed for the future to best get ahead of the threat. This theatre will bring together senior military leaders, policy makers and industry, through keynote addresses, panels and technical presentations to address how training must not only keep pace or react to threats but to get ahead. Sessions here will confront the pace of technological change directly, from the drone and counter-UAS challenge reshaping the contested battlefield, to the workforce and capability decisions needed to build readiness faster than adversaries can adapt. This theatre focuses on the big picture; what are the actual demands of the training enterprise to outpace the threat, from the operator through to coalition force integration.

New Horizons
Adaptive Edge

Adaptive Edge Theatre

The Adaptive Edge Theatre examines the synthetic training infrastructure that makes adaptation possible at speed and scale. Sessions focus on interoperable simulation environments, Live Virtual and Constructive integration, systems of systems and the standards, validation and governance that build trust in synthetic training across services, domains and coalition partners. If getting ahead of the threat depends on training environments that can evolve as fast as the threats itself, this is where that infrastructure is built.  

Human Performance Theatre

The Human Performance Theatre puts people in the centre of readiness. Sessions explore how training and simulation build the cognitive edge personnel need to out-think and outpace emerging threats: judgement, trust, adaptability and decision-making under pressure and human-machine teaming. As systems grow more complex, this theatre argues that the ultimate advantage remains human; this advantage must be trained deliberately, not assumed.  

Human Performance

Submission Process and Requirements

technical-paper

Stage 1
Abstract proposal

 

In a clear and concise paragraph, outline the technical challenge you want to address, the methodology for tackling it, key findings you have uncovered, and provide a comprehensive summary.  

This initial impression is crucial for grabbing the reviewers' attention and ensuring you secure your spot at the conference. 

What do I need to submit?

  • Abstract Title
  • Speaker Details 
  • Abstract proposal
    (250 - 500 words)
  • Key Takeaways
    (3 - 4 bullet-points)

Deadline: 28 September 2026

tech-paper

Stage 2
Draft submission

 

If your abstract is accepted, you are invited to submit a full paper detailing your methodology and findings, highlighting their relevance to the field, and accompanied by engaging presentation slides in line with the template provided.

Your assigned moderator will review the draft paper and slides for clarity, quality, and engagement before final approval.

What do I need to submit?

Deadline: 7 December 2026

tech-paper

Stage 3
Final submission & presentation

 

After considering the assigned moderator’s feedback and updating your paper and slides accordingly, you will then have the opportunity to submit both for final approval by your moderator.

Your paper and slides will be shared with the conference delegates after the event.

What do I need to submit?

  • FINAL Technical Paper PDF
    (2 - 6 Pages)
  • FINAL Presentation (recommended up to a maximum of 20 slides)

Deadline: 12 April 2027

Please note: If successful in your submission, your abstract title and key takeaways will be used in marketing materials to promote your session at ITEC, this includes our agenda. In addition, please ensure you download and read the "ITEC Submission Guide" document below before applying to speak.

There will be no official recordings by event organisers of individual presentations and no guarantee of official photographs of presentations to follow after. 

Submission Guide (opens in a new tab)
Submit your Extract (opens in a new tab)

The Chatham House Rule

The Chatham House Rule is not in effect by default. Speakers retain the right to invoke it at the beginning of their presentation and will last for the duration of that presentation only. At no point is recording equipment of any kind permitted to be used in any conference room. This includes filming and audio recording. Photos are permitted provided there is no flash.