Born out of the passion and momentum of the xFoundry@UMD's inaugural Xperience Competition and the Power Source Summit, NEXPLORE 2040 brings together a curated group of forward-thinking innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers, investors, and student trailblazers to tackle humanity’s grand challenges.
Unlike traditional conferences, NEXPLORE 2040 focuses on identifying the most urgent problems, not just solutions. The 2025 summit will focus on four pivotal domains: Habitat Resilience, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Peak Human Performance, and High-Tech Health. These themes, drawn from NASA’s critical technology gaps, demand multidisciplinary collaboration across technology, arts, marketing, and entrepreneurship to bridge Earth’s needs with tomorrow’s lunar and Martian realities.
NEXPLORE 2040 ignites action: Attendees define high-impact problem spaces and define plans for future research and development, while top student teams from the Horizons Challenge compete to turn those insights into ventures through the 2027 $2M Xperience Competition. By uniting academia, industry, and government, NEXPLORE 2040 cultivates a new generation of solutionists, leaders equipped to solve the impossible, today and for the future.
The xFoundry Alliance of universities is a transformative innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that empowers students to tackle humanity’s most pressing challenges through bold, multidisciplinary collaboration.
xFoundry offers a deeply immersive entrepreneurial experience, equipping students with the vision and practical skills to tackle real-world challenges through venture creation, all while getting their degree. Built on the TEAMS (Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts & Athletics, Marketing, and Science) framework, xFoundry reshapes elements of higher education into a dynamic solution engine in the age of AI.
xFoundry was proudly launched at the University of Maryland.
xfoundry.orgSpaceCom is a premier platform for advancing space innovation, connecting industry leaders, government agencies, and academic institutions to accelerate the commercialization of space.
Through dynamic conferences, exhibitions, and content, SpaceCom empowers stakeholders to explore new frontiers, foster strategic partnerships, and shape the future of the space economy. By convening key voices across aerospace, defense, and emerging tech, SpaceCom serves as a catalyst for collaboration and breakthrough thinking.
As a co-organizer of NEXPLORE 2040, SpaceCom brings its convening power and commitment to cross-sector impact to help launch the next generation of space leaders.
spacecomexpo.comAmazon is hosting the summit at its state-of-the-art HQ2 campus in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology aligns with the summit’s mission to shape the future of space and humanity. Their collaboration provides a dynamic setting to foster bold thinking and cross-sector engagement.
aws.amazon.comA national leader in research and innovation, the University of Maryland is ranked among the top 5 public universities for entrepreneurship. UMD empowers the next generation of pioneers in science, technology, and venture creation. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and academic excellence, UMD supports visionary thinking that bridges campus and industry.
xFoundry was proudly launched at the University of Maryland.
umd.eduThe E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory is a cutting-edge innovation hub at the University of Maryland designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and bold experimentation. Home to state-of-the-art labs, maker spaces, and immersive learning environments, the IDEA Factory empowers students, faculty, and partners to transform ideas into real-world solutions.
As a proud collaborator of NEXPLORE 2040, the IDEA Factory helps catalyze forward-thinking innovation at the intersection of technology, design, and entrepreneurship.
E. A. Fernandez IDEA FactoryOne of the top-ranked engineering schools in the nation, the A. James Clark School of Engineering fosters groundbreaking research across aerospace, robotics, energy, and beyond. As a special collaborator, the Clark School brings technical leadership and student innovation to the NEXPLORE 2040 experience.
eng.umd.edu