Investors from Silicon Valley and senior officials in the Trump administration descended on a convention hall in downtown Detroit last week for a conference committed to spurring a “techno-industrial renaissance” in the United States.
In some ways, it looked like a normal convention. The makers of everything from carbon brushes to boat propellers milled around a large hall, looking at a flying boat, a customizable electric truck, an air taxi and a humanoid robot. But at times, it turned into an urgent and literal call to arms as discussions moved from manufacturing to national security.
“You will help us forge a future where we can build and sustain an industrial base that can deliver the critical weapons we need, fast and at scale,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the participants in a video message. “Time is short.”
