In today’s rapidly evolving defense and technology landscape, innovation cannot wait. The traditional pace of acquisition, often measured in years, no longer aligns with the pace of threats.
To bridge this gap, Maximus, in partnership with the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), is harnessing the power of hackathons to develop solutions that matter for national security.
Hackathons: A catalyst for defense innovation
Hackathons are no longer the domain of coders working on isolated projects. They have evolved into a structured space where industry, government, and academia collaborate to solve real-world challenges.
As Dr. Arun Seraphin, Executive Director of NDIA’s Emerging Technologies Institute, explained on the Clickthrough podcast, “The pace at which technology is moving now is very different than anything we’ve ever seen in the past.”
Hackathons allow agencies to rapidly surface ideas shaped by operational problems and transition them into field-ready solutions.
To help drive that innovation, Maximus will be helping shape the development of next-generation solutions at NDIA’s Global Defense Technologies Hackathon. Kicking off at the George Mason University's FUSE facility and culminating at NDIA's Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition held at the Washington Convention Center this multi-stage event will connect Department of Defense (DoD) challengers with industry innovators in real time. Participants will work alongside government buyers, operators, and acquisition leaders to tackle mission-critical problems.
Driving open innovation and co-creation
With FedRAMP authorization and CMMC compliance, Maximus brings the technical foundation and secure infrastructure needed to support real-time collaboration. As Derrick Pledger Chief Digital and Information Officer at Maximus, explained, “Hackathons create a safe space for collaboration between government and industry, needed now more than ever.” The Maximus commitment to open innovation means creating environments where new perspectives converge quickly to produce scalable solutions.
What participants can expect
Hackathons provide that connective tissue, bringing together stakeholders in one environment to rapidly define requirements and demonstrate solutions. As Pledger noted, “We need to innovate and integrate at pace, at speed, so we can deliver capabilities in minutes, days, and hours, not years.”
For both established technologists and those new to defense, the hackathon offers a chance to showcase capabilities, connect with acquisition leaders, and potentially see ideas transitioned into programs of record.
The hackathon model reflects the larger innovation the defense community needs across speed, collaboration, and operational relevance. Success means more than solving problems in a week; it’s about how open innovation can cut through bureaucracy and deliver real-world results where they are needed most.
This event reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting government agencies with agile, transparent, and innovative solutions—helping them stay ahead in an increasingly complex world.
For more information or to get involved, please visit: https://www.ndiatechexpo.org/hackathon.