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THE FRONTIER LINE
Hosts Wayne Aston and David Murray explore the critical global pillars of infrastructure development and energy production, from traditional methods to future-forward advancements. The Frontier Line covers the latest industry news, energy innovations, and sustainability trends that are shaping the future. Through expert interviews with industry leaders in renewable energy, utility-scale battery storage, and waste-to-energy technologies, the podcast provides insights into the evolving landscape of energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure. By focusing on the intersection of innovation and the politics of energy, The Frontier Line highlights transformative ideas and technologies poised to deliver cost-efficient, resilient, and sustainable solutions for global industries.
THE FRONTIER LINE
Company Spotlight- 47G
Good morning friends. Welcome back to the Frontier Line, dave hello.
Speaker 2:Hello, Good morning Wayne, Good morning listeners.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Friends of the show, good to have you back for another episode.
Speaker 1:We're coming in hot today with another company, spotlight, one of our favorite new partners and companies that needs to have more eyeballs and more exposure nationally. Balls and more exposure nationally. Guys, we're going to be talking about 47G and I'm guessing that many of our listeners have heard of 47G, but maybe the broader base hasn't, because it is specific to Utah, although they've got national outreach. We've had the opportunity to meet with some of the founders and some of the key C-suite folks over at 47G here in Utah in the latest, well, in the recent few weeks. Yes, dave, why don't you kick this off? What do we know? What is the opening statement for 47G? What an incredible company.
Speaker 2:Well, it's an amazing organization. So you know, essentially we're talking about Utah's statewide aerospace defense, and cyber ecosystem is what they've created. So a public private alliance, more than 100 companies, I think it's maybe even closer to 200 that's 20 universities designed to make uh the state, as they say, america's deep tech front.
Speaker 2:You know, deep tech frontier so named after Colonel John Stapp's legendary 46.2G deceleration test 47G rounded way up brings together industry leaders, partners, institutions to strengthen supply chains. Advance dual-use technologies grow Utah's industry. Uh, advanced dual use technologies, grow utah's industry. And that is very interesting, that right there, because it's a hundred billion dollar aerospace industry and that that's 20 of our economy here in utah yeah, that's, that's.
Speaker 1:You know, that's one of the metrics. That was just a jaw-dropping thing for me to learn about. 47g 20 of% of Utah's GDP is aerospace and defense and 47G is the embodiment of all of that. You know, a hundred billion in annual revenue contributing to, you know, utah's economy. It's phenomenal. I really loved learning about the name 47G too, because everyone asks us, like the folks that aren't in Utah are like what is 47 G? And we tell them, well, it's aerospace and defense. But but recognizing, like, think of the Mormon pioneers crossing planes in in, you know, the planes from the East coast to Utah when they settled it in 1847. Okay, and the grit and endurance that came with that. Fast forward to the 1950s, colonel John Stapp strapped himself into this rocket sled at Holloman Air Force Base and endured this 46.2 Gs of force more than any human had ever survived. And that's also real grit, right and willingness to test the limits. So the founders of 47G blended that homage to the 1847 vintage with the 46.2Gs. That's how we get 47G folks.
Speaker 2:Which I love the history and it speaks to. They are living that mission truly. They are delivering on it. They've delivered on it for the past couple years. They've they, you know and doing all of these linkages of bringing in all of these major organizations. We're not talking, you know what. They have lots of startups, and not to say that there's anything about that, about startups, but they have very, very significant players involved in this organization who have been here a long time.
Speaker 2:The names like Northrop Grumman, raytheon names we in Utah certainly we've all heard and it's about bringing all of that talent, all that entrepreneurship and pushing breakthroughs into the future and bringing the aerospace industry kind of into one collective and saying, hey, there's this whole ecosystem that we need to put our arms around. That is already huge in Utah. Let's do everything we can to expand it, to push it into the future. I mean, our show is the frontier line. All right, they truly embody the frontier line. They are pushing that frontier to say our next frontier and it will homage to Star Trek, I mean, is space.
Speaker 2:There's a. You know if you read anything, you know if you're kind of paying attention to some of the talk about this. There's a lot of conversation Maybe not as in your faces, like a lot of the things talking that space really is one of the next, or if not the next, the big next battleground. It's where the countries are going to be asserting themselves already have, and you know, whether it's a race to Mars, colonizing the moon, whatever that looks like, or just air defenses around the Earth. Aerospace is a big deal, a very, very big deal, and 47G is saying it is a big deal, and we're here to bring all of these minds and organizations into one sort of cohesive organization to where we can push this forward. And it's been fantastic to see what they've accomplished in relatively little time, by the way, and this hasn't been something that's been in the works for a long, long time. This has just been really in the last three years, I think three or four years really just getting hold of, and it's growing so fast.
Speaker 1:You know, when we first had the opportunity to sit with CEO Aaron Starks and his team, matt and Guy and some of the others, we made a statement about Valley Forge, and our statement about Valley Forge is that Valley Forge is the premier energy community of the West, and Aaron really keyed into that. He's like you know. That really hooked me, because our mission statement is straightforward it's make Utah the nation's premier ecosystem for aerospace defense and cyber companies. And that word premier really stood out. It was like the big flashing lights the premier ecosystem in the nation and, by virtue of being in the nation, that's in the world, because we are the dominant force in aerospace defense and cyber companies. So it's a huge vision.
Speaker 1:Ceo Aaron Starks also has shared a quote with us, and the way he puts it is we're not just building companies, we're building the future of American leadership in contested skies. And that's pointing to what you're saying, dave, like recognizing that that you know China is mining the dark side of the moon right now. Recognizing that Russia has many, many, many satellites and a big presence in space. Those are that's the contested skies he's referring to, where you know, and and America has a lot of work to do to really carve out its place in the next frontier, as it were. And that's from a defense perspective, that's from a manufacturing. This includes guys putting not only defense, satellite defense systems in space, but it includes the industrialization of space.
Speaker 1:And we've heard other folks in the aerospace industry who have shared visions about manufacturing facilities in space and taking all of that industrialization and using up resources on earth and moving it to space. What an incredible, incredible vision that is. I mean that is that is a lot of work for a lot of it to space. What an incredible, incredible vision that is. I mean that is that is a lot of work for a lot of generations to come.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yes, yes, it is, um. And you know one thing that Aaron is doing so well, uh, is he's bringing together his own world-class team, uh, uh, to help, uh, help, define 47G. So it's not, it's not. He understands, at least I think he understands, recognizes that he's got to bring in all these significant people to help this organization grow. And so you know, we, I think we can mention a few of those. You know a few of those names. In April he brought in Brad Wilson, a name that's very familiar here in Utah, former Utah House Speaker, now CEO of Salt Lake City Utah 2034 Olympics. He was appointed the board chair. He Wilson calls the aerospace and defense and I love this quote too Utah's economic North Star.
Speaker 2:I love that too, and because it you know, I think you know as it says it's, it's how central this sector has become to the state's future. Obviously, we would say you, and I would say, well, we agree, but you also have to have power, yeah. And so, uh, yes, those are industries are gonna be fantastic. You also have to solve power. You have to also have to solve infrastructure on on grid infrastructure If you're going to prop and support these in these future industries. Solve power, you have to also have to solve infrastructure on on grid infrastructure if you're going to prop and support these in these future industries. Uh, so it's good to see that. You know brad's involved with this, uh. And then we can add adam fife, vice chair adam fife uh, he's founder of a sen core group who brings deep intelligence sector experience.
Speaker 1:Uh, senator ann millner, jefferson moss, from goio, uh, and by the way, I just just had an opportunity to meet with jefferson yesterday at the capitol. So so, you know, invictus sovereign, you were there, dave, you, you got to sit up there for the presentation as we, as we presented to the public utilities and energy technology interim committee up in the state capitol yesterday, I thought we got a phenomenal, a phenomenal reception. Uh, we're warm welcome. All the questions were, you know, phenomenal from the committee, general enthusiasm about what we're doing. And then how, how great was it that? That aaron starks was there presenting 47g right after we made our presentation and he gave a really nice shout out to, you know, working with Invictus Sovereign.
Speaker 1:But we, right after that meeting, I stayed up at the Capitol. I had some things to handle with Senator Owens and others. We had Ryan Peterson up there, one of our lobbyists, and Craig and Ryan Peterson, by the way, our lobbyists are the best in the best, maybe not the biggest, most well-known, but in our minds they're definitely the guys to get things done from a lobby perspective. But got to meet Jefferson Moss for the first time, and Jefferson is the newly appointed head of GOEO, like you mentioned, governor's Office of Economic Opportunity and what a great guy. I mean he comes from the entrepreneurial private sector and I think that introduces a lot of new flavor to the governor's office, because the governor's office, if you look at, you know the office of energy development and some of the other appendages of of governor Cox's cabinet, appendages of Governor Cox's cabinet you've got a lot of academia, you've got a lot of kind of not entrepreneurs, you've got a lot of kind of public service people and a lot of academia.
Speaker 1:And I think when we're talking about doing something that's never been done before, you've got to have some of that wildcat, mavericking, edgy mentality, that scrappiness of willing to go and do things that have never been done before. And it comes with risk and it comes with a lack of guarantee. And I think, jeff, he's the right guy for it and it was fun visiting with him and he shared the same enthusiasm for the project and, of course, knowing that he's, you know, as involved as he is with 47G, it probably made it make sense of why he felt so enthusiastic about what we were explaining about Valley Forge. In addition to Jefferson Moss, you've got heavyweights like Joe Kaiser of Mercado Partners it's a capital firm, private equity Amanda Huffington of Larry H Miller and Scott Hanson from Raytheon, not to mention real estate magnate Brandon Fugle, who we know, and Collier's exec, greg Robinson. So this is bipartisan cross industry. It's deliberate. The 47g team has brought the best that utah has to offer into into one group focused on this aerospace and defense initiatives yeah, they, they really have.
Speaker 2:And I want to mention real quick, while you brought it up, since we were up in front of pew at yesterday, the pew committee, you know, extend a, a gracious thank you to chairman owens and chairman jack, representative jack, senator owens, for the invitation, for getting the and having the opportunity to go and present and talk about what we were doing. Um, it was a, it was a great day on the hill absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I could echo your sentiments there uh, I was going to mention, and I think in. So in january of this year they also brought in cory, and edwards uh stepped in as chief strategy officer. Her role for you know small role forging global partnerships, yeah, yeah, um, so you've got. You do as you said. You've got heavyweights, you've got edward starks, wilson at the helm, you got a team. It's not just managing, they're accelerating the state of utah toward 47 g's vision. And then getting to chat with these people. It's's not just Utah's vision. Um, this is a, a country wide vision. This is a. This is it's not just Utah and the heck with the other States, it's a Utah in conjunction with the mission of of kind of the country at large. And so they see this as they're playing their role, they're playing their part in helping uh, helping us keep our position in the world and accelerating where we need to accelerate.
Speaker 1:That's absolutely right, dave. Let's get granular with the numbers. Why don't we Economic impact and growth? Because the numbers really tell the story of really what they're doing. That's how we measure this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we said 20%, but what does that even mean?
Speaker 1:Right right. In 2023, Utah's defense sector alone supported 173,000 jobs and contributed $22.2 billion to the GDP. Zoom out and the total aerospace defense security ecosystem is nearly 500,000 jobs and $100 billion in GDP. That's one-fif fifth of Utah's economy, and it's not just one of the fastest growing clusters in the nation, it's the backbone of Utah's economic future.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you can see it in investments American Pacific Corporation, ampac. In June 2025, they announced a $100 million expansion in Cedar City to ramp up solid rocket motor production. It's not just a job story. It's about supply chain security. It's fantastic for that area and for Utah. Utah companies are producing the critical components that ensure the US and its allies abroad stay ahead in space and defense, and so we've talked about that very thing many times about. Utah has so many things going for it. We have a wonderfully talented labor force, we have lots of natural resources, we have a climate, politically, legislatively, that is encouraging and setting foundations for these kinds of things to happen, and we talk a lot, obviously, on this podcast about power and infrastructure. This is one of those big, I would say infrastructure as far as a whole sector that is so critical and important and just goes hand in hand with what we talk about.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And let's not forget about the multiplier effect, and this is probably not something that's exclusive to aerospace and defense, but not for nothing, for every job in aerospace and defense, roughly two additional jobs are created elsewhere in Utah's economy. Ok, so that means that you know, when North Star Photonics lands Navy contracts or when Hexcel adds composites production, restaurants, schools and housing developments also feel that lift to make a corollary to Valley Forge. Because you know, as we build Sentinel-1 Power Complex, as we bring on that data component, as we bring on all these advanced manufacturing components, there's a ripple effect throughout the county, millard County, throughout the six counties area and throughout Utah.
Speaker 1:And I actually am predicting, and we've predicted this many times, but I'm predicting that because of the size and scale of power just at Sentinel-1 Power Complex, this is going to be a regional ripple effect. And I can also see a regional ripple effect with 47G. You know, as we kind of compare notes to what we know about the Denver Industrial Complex, for example, it's not just a Utah thing. There's a lot of startup activity, there's a lot to do right now and the Trump administration is so active and so in tune with national defense, satellite defense, industrializing space and all of these initiatives we're talking about. This is just Utah kind of being a leader with ripple effects regionally and nationally.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it's been something Utah. Again, if you've grown up here, we've had our roots for a long time in the space industry. The aerospace industry I mean in the shuttle programs and building the SRBs and uh and Utah state university doing a lot in that realm. They've done a lot of stuff on testing and research in space, uh and and all the various companies that are here, that are that are there, that are experimenting and doing things. And some of those companies we know that you know some of them are more kind of in the realm of top secret and we don't really know what they do, but we know that they're doing something. But obviously I mean anybody who's a Utah and understands the defense industry at large is big. The aerospace industry is huge with Hill Air Force Base and all the ancillary companies.
Speaker 2:There hasn't been this cohesiveness really until 47G really. Yeah, until 47g yeah, and that's in the decades I have watched this industry. Um covered this industry back in the media days. I covered this, this whole sector. It was it's, it was pockets. I mean we talk about, uh, twill army depot, you talk about hill air force base, you talk about some of the, some of the defense companies, but there wasn't a sense that we're all working together into war. They're all working together into kind of like a kind of mission, or expanding out or figuring out how to pool resources or leverage all the things they have here.
Speaker 2:And now 47G, I think, is finally, truly they created a tip of the spear saying we're going to bring this all together so that we can actually have a cohesive unit working at least as best we can in unison, which I think is great, and I'm telling you some of the stuff they have going and I'm excited to talk about it. Still, we haven't, we haven't talked about and you might, you might have read about some of these things, but when you, when you get the chance to talk to them and see their excitement about how, how, how lots of things are about to change in utah, oh yeah, um, it's it almost gives you goosebumps like no, this can't actually be happening in our lifetime. Um, and and we are, we're there, I mean, we're there, this stuff is going, this stuff's happening, it's going to happen, um, so I'll, I'm going to tee that up for you and I'm going to let you take that. You know you, you know where I'm going.
Speaker 1:Oh, I do my gosh. I mean yeah. So you know, we're sitting there having a meeting with with the team and and they bring up project Alta and I hadn't heard of it until they they shared it with us and since I've I've just been a fire hose absorbing what project Alta is.
Speaker 2:But guys, this is and I'm going to make a joke real quick it's Alta, not Alta. I'm just saying that as a Utahan. So there is a ski resort Alta. It's Alta, not Alta. Just a piece of advice, just a friendly piece of advice. That's right, okay.
Speaker 1:That's right. Okay, this is a statewide coalition pushing advanced air mobility coalition pushing advanced air mobility. And what is advanced air mobility? I mean, we're talking about air taxis, cargo drones, delivery systems and vertiports, and all integrated with utah's ground infrastructure.
Speaker 2:and, dave, you and I were talking before the show about the jetsons and I just loved your take on it because you know, restate what you were sharing with me before, because I thought it was spot on well, it's project alta, is real world version of the jetsons, and so, again, if you're older listeners I'm going to assume that most of our listeners are maybe, maybe, closer our age will remember the jetsons as the cartoon that came out in late 60s, early early 70s, and this was the you know the future set in 2062. Uh, and this was you know, we're moving around and basically these little spaceships and we're you know, we're you know, and, and no more cars, and and uh, and so that was always, it's always, I think, been a joke every time growing up like, hey, I wonder we're going to get to those kinds of cars flying cars.
Speaker 2:Well, Well, guess what folks we're? We're really close, yeah, Uh, in fact so close that they hope to have this running and up and going prior to the Olympics. And and imagine if you will being able to take a, an electrically powered air taxi from, say, Salt Lake international to park city and being able to get up there in 12 minutes. And this isn't just, this isn't fantasy, and this is something they can do and operate so inexpensively in comparison to how we would normally travel Like a helicopter. I can you know, 20 years ago, it cost us $1,000 an hour to operate our helicopter.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I can only imagine what it is now. Yeah, cost us $1,000 an hour to operate our helicopter. I can only imagine what it is now. So, just to give perspective on being able to jump in one of these things I don't know $50, $100, whatever that might be but to be able to go from Select International there in minutes, being able to go down to Provo, being able to go to Ogden, being able to go up to Logan, being able to go down to it, just opens up moving along the Wasatch Front in a way that we haven't ever seen. And this isn't just a concept, this is they're. They're headlong the company that's doing it. They're headlong into into making this happen.
Speaker 1:They're having meetings with the FAA, they're this is, this is going to happen, and and we are going to have something that does not exist anywhere else in the world.
Speaker 1:So much will happen in nine years from now, and Valley Forge is included right in that. I mean, one of the things that really excited me, beyond the technology, was this idea that the radius of travel for these air taxis is 200-mile range. And so you know, with Valley Forge sitting less than 170 miles away from downtown Salt Lake City and that airport and less than 150 miles away from St George, valley Forge, all of a sudden in central Utah becomes one of the key, key areas to have a vertiport where you have a fleet of air taxis that could be going shuttling people back and forth all over the state of Utah. And that was so exciting to learn about, because we're we are planning a regional airport at Valley Forge, but imagine having a regional airport with all the traditional jets and the private jets and things like that, but also having a whole dedicated, dedicated section to a vertiport. That could that could be that part of that showcase. It's so exciting.
Speaker 2:It's, it's mind blowing and and, oh you know, when I think about what they're doing with this project, it helped it, it made me think about learning about, you know, you start thinking about defense and aerospace, I mean, and I I was a, you know the kid who was, you know, wanted to be an astronaut, as a lot of us did, and absolutely, you know, paid attention to nasa and emissions still do yeah but what you, what I came to recognize as I got older about, about the innovations that come out of defense.
Speaker 2:You know some people like, well, defense and aerospace and yeah, and, and you might almost pass it off, but it's like everything that we have right now, including what we're doing you and I are doing right now the internet, internet we're on a podcast. You're going to be listening to this, probably being streaming. This is all come out of defense projects. All right, it's GPS, internet, radar, microwave tech, satellites, drones, mags, go on jet engines, nuclear power, stealth technology, micro night vision.
Speaker 2:So many things get driven out of the, the need for defense, but also the need for aerospace and moving us into the future.
Speaker 2:And so you, just if, if we, if utah is at the forefront and and 47g is able to kind of coalesce this whole group, and it's going to be really exciting to see what they're able to do in addition to what they've already done. I mean, if we're talking about, like, truly making you know the Jets a reality, what else is next? And that's just exciting to me. That's exciting and I just I love the idea of being able to go in a quick air taxi and zip down, and zip down somewhere and again, we all know what it's like to drive along the Wasatch Front and it's and zip down somewhere and totally I mean, and again, we all know, we all know what it's like to drive along the Wasatch front and it's not getting any better and I think you're going to it's going to change how these things and I know that you know they want to get this, obviously for all the obvious reasons, up and going before the Olympics because, wow, how would that change moving around?
Speaker 1:you know, from Olympic venue to Olympic venue, to Olympiclympic venue, to olympic venue. For people, god it would be. It would be revolutionary, particularly for winter olympics, when you're dealing with snow and you're dealing with plows and traffic everything, all of the dangers of that.
Speaker 2:It would be extraordinary, and and and then to be able to launch this no or pun intended actually, uh on the world stage, to really have it mature enough to be able to have it ready for when the world puts its eyeballs on Utah again. Wow, and you know. Again I come back to 47G. 47g is helping drive this through these private companies who are doing this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and let's shift gears. I mean focusing on all of the initiatives and partnerships. The Project AlTA is one huge one. The 47G Institute is another huge one. Formed when UAMMI merged into 47G in 2024, this institute has already facilitated 58 million in grants, reached over 8,000 students with hands-on programs and supported dozens of SBIR and STTR projects. It's about building the workforce one apprentice and one lab project at a time. That's also very exciting. That's also a common denominator at Valley Forge. Because of this emphasis on educational programming, technical sciences, technical training, specialized workforce development, I mean it couldn't be a better alignment, and so I just love learning more about 47G Institute. I mean, if any kid in the nation wanted to be an astronaut or involved in building space satellite air defense systems, I mean Utah is definitely the place to be to come and do that. So that's a super point of Utahns to have as a source of pride as a community here.
Speaker 2:Right. And then the other thing that they've done, and I think on the business side, I think the Impact Center launched with Impact Utah in September of last year 2024, focuses on manufacturing it's boots on the ground, helping companies in aerospace and defense optimize operations, scale production, meet rigorous demands of federal contracts, and it's where Utah's small, midsize suppliers can get the help to level up and compete nationally and then even potentially internationally up and compete nationally and then even potentially internationally. So another great, a great evolu, a great thing that they've that existed but that they've, I'm gonna say, rebrand, but they brought together and said here let's do this and let's do this under the 47g umbrella yeah, and you know, one of the things that that naturally occurs when you're very good at something, everyone wants to be involved, right.
Speaker 1:And so you see this happening with 47 G and these partnerships. They just keep piling up because everybody starts to recognize the value that they, that they are and that they can present to a business or an individual, who who gets involved. And so, you know, just this year, in 2025, north star photonics this is just this month secured two navy sbir awards for advanced navigation tech. Earlier intergalactic heat transfer, landed a sole source deal with l3 harris for the navy's next gen jammer. And internationally, 47g has built ties in Eastern Europe, amid Ukraine tensions, and even expanded into South America with Delta's nonstop routes connecting Utah companies to Lima. So again, international ripple effect happening here with 47G.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And you know, I would say I mean it's hard to actually say there is a crown jewel Right In their crown. I don't know if they would call this the crown jewel, but I think it's one of the biggest things they do and it's just getting bigger. And again, if you're a Utah and you're familiar with Silicon Slopes and the success that Silicon Slopes has seen over the years and know kind of got going, kind of got going, and then it's kind of the place to be, you know, in tech, well, they have the zero gravity summit, uh, and it's, it's continuing to grow and they're expecting this year over 3 000 attendees, 150 exhibitors, uh, happening in november. Uh, salt palace, um, and so it's here here, here. Here you have a another thing that's become so popular, so fast to your point, wayne.
Speaker 2:Everybody wants to be part of this. Everyone say, hey, there, there's where it's all happening. We're going there, we're going to be part of that. And I'll let you I mean, we know some of the names I'll let you throw out some of the names of, of who's who, who they have coming to, just give you an idea of like yeah how big of a deal this has become well, thank you, yeah, I mean we're we're super excited about.
Speaker 1:I mean, obviously, governor cox has been a a a leader for the state and the west in many of these areas, and, and the fourth thematic tracks that that the zero Gravity Summit is really focused on here is obviously defense, tech, space energy and the future of flight, and Governor Cox has done something for all four of those categories and so he's naturally going to be one of the speakers. We've got former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, we've got Varda Spaces, adelian Asperhove, northrop Grumman's Wendy Williams and, because Utah never does things halfway, aaron Starks was just telling us this last week that they just landed Peyton Manning as a guest speaker. And, of course, any football fans out there know who Peyton Manning is. Peyton Manning happens to be one of my favorite of all time NFL legends, and so we're super excited to have Peyton in Utah as a guest speaker.
Speaker 1:And let's not forget that in recent weeks and since we've started collaborating with 47G, we've accepted an invitation Invictus of it to become an industry advisory board member. We couldn't be more excited about that. Industry advisory board member, we're super. We couldn't be more excited about that. We're so excited to be able to contribute to 47 G's mission and their initiatives, and it sounds like we're going to be able to grab the last panel spot to be, I guess, speaker. And so we're going to be bringing the Invictus sovereign team and I, and I think we'll probably have a couple of our nuclear specialists I won't name names just yet because we're gonna have to confirm everybody for november 4th and 5th but we're gonna bring a, a powerhouse team to talk about valley forge and the sentinel one power complex at the zero gravity summit. So y'all out there listening, make sure you get online and get those tickets. It's gonna be one hell of a show. It.
Speaker 2:It is, and you know so we're going to do our, we'll do our damnedest to like, represent for that energy space, right, that energy sector, to say, look, we want to come and tell you I mean, if again, if you're a, if you're a listener, you hear us talk about this all the time 3,000 plus people who are very make up some of the you know the the who's, who in this greater industry, to hear and say this is why we have to solve energy, so we can take that message to them as well, to say this is, this is what we're doing, this is how we're doing it, this is what we think needs to happen, because if, if we don't solve that, all of this, all of this becomes very challenging.
Speaker 1:That's right, that's absolutely right and, as 2025 unfolds, the geopolitical context really matters to all of this. So in the back of our minds, we're very excited. Well, let me rephrase that On a daily kind of move forward, we're very excited about what we can do here in Utah, what we can do here in the US. Move forward, we're very excited about what we can do here in Utah, what we can do here in the US. But in the back of our minds there's always this looming, and on the show we cover this, this global situational awareness.
Speaker 1:We talk about the US being in a race with China on hypersonics, supply chains and space commercialization. In fact, we talked about and referenced General Stephen Quast in his interview on the Sean Ryan show a few months back, talking about China mining certain minerals and gases on the dark side of the moon, and they're kind of speculating what they're doing and we're all saying, holy smokes, we got to get in that and we got to figure that out. You know we've got tariffs that are reshaping markets, regulations are tightening, talent shortages remain a challenge, and so there's a lot of pressure globally. There's a lot of pressure on the US to perform and execute in multiple categories all at the same time. So it's an exciting time to be alive, and it's a stressful time too.
Speaker 2:So it's an exciting time to be alive and it's a stressful time too. It is, but it's, you know, as a native Utahan, I think this is where we have the edge, where Utah has the edge. I think I know how this state is no-transcript. There's an opportunity here in Utah to make Utah a leader in energy in the entire West, in the entire West, and I see a very similar track in aerospace and defense, where Utah can also position itself in conjunction as a leader and as a look. Utah is where we're bringing all this collaboration, this trusted collaboration that's also commercially powerful and makes sense, together in one place. And then again, all of this ahead of the Olympics coming up to give us the perfect stage to highlight all of this in about 10 years.
Speaker 1:I love that. You know, we heard one 47G leader recently put it Utah could be the Switzerland of space Trusted, collaborative and commercially powerful. I mean that's a bold statement, but that is the ambition that that team over there at 47G has got. I mean, that's the way they're looking at this and you know what? I think it's not a stretch.
Speaker 2:No, it's not a stretch. And again, you know, I feel very fortunate that we get to meet so many super smart, just great people who are really really doing their best to push things forward, to make things better. And you know, I felt lucky that I just get to interact with these people and talk to these people and hear what they have to say and kind of see you know, in their minds and their vision. And this organization is full of them. Everybody we talk to, and including all the advisors, the people that sit on these groups I mean these are the who's who that we know of in these industries and they're there because they want to be part of something bigger and contribute and see Utah also do well. And so it's just been a true pleasure to have the interactions we've had so far and I'm looking forward to having more.
Speaker 1:Well, and I think you mentioned early on when we started talking about CEO Aaron Starks you know, this is not just 47G, is not just the collaborative in Utah, they're equal parts. Washington DC, utah I mean it's a back and forth situation. This comes with the full, you know, federal support of the US aerospace and defense industrial complex. So it's definitely a national effort. Defense industrial complex so it's definitely a national effort and I think Aaron has done a great job of enrolling those folks on that level, on the national level, so that this is definitely taken seriously. And that's why I say this isn't such a stretch, because it's already being done.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right, and I think we can absolutely say Utah's aerospace and defense story, rewinding America's playbook of what we're doing right now, and at the center of it truly is a history, a long history of companies that have been here for a long time doing those things, like Arathion. But really bringing this all together right now is 47G, you know, building the networks, as you say, locally, nationally, internationally, training workers and anchoring our rise, utah's rise as America's deep tech frontier, but then tying that directly to America's success broadly. So I'm just I'm I'm happy there, I'm happy they're here, I'm happy to work with them. It's fun to cover them, it's going to be great to see what they do and if you haven't heard about them, go check them out, because their their story is their stories, and the stories the companies are working with are fantastic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right, guys. So you can go visit them on their website. Their home site is 47gorg and you can go get tickets for the Zero Gravity Summit there. And you can also follow them on X at 47g underscore. You know capital Utah, so plug in. You'll be very pleased with what you see on the website, very pleased with what they. You know capital Utah, so plug in. You'll be very pleased with what you see on the website, very pleased with what they, you know, are promoting on social and I think anybody you know who's going to be in Salt Lake in November. Boy, you don't want to miss the Zero Gravity Summit. So we hope that you have enjoyed this as much as we have. Guys, we appreciate you giving us the platform and the space to share what we're passionate and excited about, and I think with that we wrap it up. What do you say, dave?
Speaker 2:I say we wrap it up and I I think we should also say uh, hey, 47 G, if you're listening, one of you needs to come on. We need to have a conversation. Oh, absolutely Right, we need, we need to talk to Aaron. We need, we need to, we need to interview Aaron or or anyone from the organization and let's, let's have a deeper conversation on some of these fun things you're doing, cause it would be, I think our listeners would love it. So, absolutely, our request, our reach out, yep.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2:Yep.
