XPONENTIAL 2025 Kicks Off with a Focus on Workforce Development, Training and Certification in Uncrewed Systems

May 19, 2025

HOUSTON, TX – XPONENTIAL 2025, the world’s largest event dedicated to robotics, uncrewed, and autonomous systems, officially opened today in Houston with a full day of programming focused on education, policy, and workforce development. The exhibit hall will open Tuesday, showcasing the latest innovations across the autonomy ecosystem.

For more than 50 years, XPONENTIAL, co-hosted by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), has brought together global leaders from industry, government, defense, and academia to advance the future of robotics and autonomy. This year’s event places a strong emphasis on workforce readiness, with sessions exploring training pipelines, credentialing frameworks, and strategies to broaden access and participation in the field.

Attendees will gain access to a robust series of workforce development tracks, including:

• FAA Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) sessions, connecting students and educators with pathways into the UAS ecosystem
• Free Level 1 Trusted UAS Operator certification opportunities, available to all XPONENTIAL registrants onsite.
• DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Forum, a four-day program uniting public safety and emergency response leaders from Texas and beyond.
• Law-Tech Connect, a one-day co-located workshop offering continuing education credits on legal and regulatory issues in uncrewed systems.

A key moment in Tuesday’s programming will be the official launch of the Trusted UMS (Uncrewed Maritime Systems) Operator Program, an industry-led certification framework developed by AUVSI and it’s members and partners, to bring standardized training and credentialing to maritime operators. Modeled after the widely adopted Trusted UAS Operator Program, the new initiative supports consistent, high-quality training aligned with real-world government and industry needs. The program will be introduced during a featured panel session exploring maritime autonomy and workforce readiness at 4-4:20pm CST on Tuesday in Room 361A.

“As the industry expands, so must our efforts to train, equip, and credential a next-generation workforce,” said Michael Robbins, CEO of AUVSI. “With the launch of the Trusted UMS Operator Program, we’re taking a major step toward multi-domain operator readiness and building the workforce pipeline our industry demands.”

In addition, a major scholarship initiative will also be announced tomorrow, aimed at expanding access to drone and autonomy education for underrepresented and underserved communities as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen and diversify the future workforce.

“We know that expanding access is key to expanding impact,” said Robbins. “This new scholarship initiative reflects our shared commitment to building a more diverse, skilled, and opportunity-rich future for this industry.”

XPONENTIAL 2025 continues throughout the week, with the exhibit hall opening Tuesday and a full slate of panels, demonstrations, and product launches from leading innovators in autonomy and robotics, offering more to come as the event unfolds.

For more information on XPONENTIAL 2025 or to explore AUVSI workforce initiatives, visit www.auvsi.org.