Richarde summers
- 1. NASA Headquarters (HQ) Innovation Ecosystem Information Technology and Communications Directorate (ITCD) February 2012
- 2. Agenda What is Innovation? Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Governance Future Development Activities Q&A 1
- 3. Agenda What is Innovation? Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Governance Future Development Activities Q&A 2
- 4. The word “Innovation” has been used extensively by leadership as a way to promote unique thinking and new ideas across the scientific community… “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world…The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation.” – President Barack Obama "We need to change our mindset and the way we work together to have our people start thinking of NASA not just as a collection of incredible missions but as a developer of the innovative technology that helps drive our nation‟s economy…” – Mr. Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator “The tenets of quality, safety, and program execution are often at odds with the very nature of disruptive innovation. Yet, failure to seek the sweet spot for this innovation will ultimately lead to organizational demise” – Ms. Linda Cureton, NASA’s Chief Information Officer 3
- 5. …but what does the word “Innovation” mean within NASA? There have been hundreds of books published on innovation, resulting in a myriad of perspectives on what innovation is to Industry and the Federal Government For purposes of this briefing we define the term „technology innovation‟ as: “Using existing technology in new ways or highlighting emerging and/or cutting-edge technology to facilitate mission success” To successfully achieve the above requires mechanisms for enabling NASA to best encourage, share and collaborate together for solutions to drive innovation across the Agency and it‟s partners NASA HQ ITCD determined that an assessment of the Agency‟s ability to innovate was required in order to determine the most effective approach for positioning NASA to achieve holistic technology innovation 4
- 6. Agenda What is Innovation? Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Governance Future Development Activities Q&A 5
- 7. Innovation at NASA is often a product of collaboration across a vast network of formal and informal relationships between the Private Sector, Government, interest groups and Universities Though a 2009 GAO Report indicated that NASA had implemented internal procedures and governing practices to mitigate duplication of technology development, anecdotal evidence suggested that collaboration is still very much dependent upon individual intervention With many of these relationships cultivated and managed by a singular NASA employee, the complexity of defining NASA‟s relationships becomes even more challenging to define and leverage to drive innovation Private Sector Public Sector Interest Groups R&D and Universities 6
- 8. As a result of stakeholder interviews, ITCD concluded that NASA’s focus on missions created stovepipes that impacted the Agency’s ability to share and collaborate regarding innovation and emerging technologies Over 25 stakeholder interviews were conducted with leadership and personnel across the NASA HQ organization to determine the extent of NASA‟s current methods of innovation management and collaboration Interview comments indicated that there were opportunities for synergy across functional disciplines that could promulgate innovation Interview data suggests that relationships within NASA are primarily established through contracts and missions, where the short-term “partnership” between two individuals is tactically-based and tailored for a specific purpose The primary issue regarding relationship building is based on the differences between individual and institution relationships, where individual-to-individual are more clearly defined than organization-to- organization Interview count per NASA Agency Directorate – November 2010 7
- 9. Further analysis indicated that while there are existing processes for supporting idea generation and collaboration, these processes were not integrated in a way that provided transparency and easy, open information sharing Using interview data and best practices from industry, ITCD modeled an “Innovation Lifecycle” architecture that depicts the process of innovating at NASA NASA Innovation Lifecycle Incubation and Scaling and Integration and Ideation Collaboration Prototyping Optimization Implementation Where ideas are Where synergies Where the tech is Where the tech is Where the tech is formed… are identified… further developed… optimized for injected into the NASA… Missions… While the processes of technology incubation through implementation are well defined, integrated and actively managed by OCT, CTO and the OCIO communities, existing processes across the “Ideation” and “Collaboration” phases of the NASA Innovation Lifecycle lack integration The following are a few examples of the types of existing processes within NASA that support the above two phases of the Innovation Lifecycle… 8
- 10. The following are a small subset of the types of existing processes that support the “Ideation” and “Collaboration” phases of the lifecycle… NASA Innovation Lifecycle Incubation and Scaling and Integration and Ideation Collaboration Prototyping Optimization Implementation Technology NASA @ Work These existing processes are effective at Mission Executive Communities Initiative Technology performing their function and independently NASA Formal Directorate Councils Research Working facilitate innovative ideas Needs Grants Groups To drive holistic innovation, NASA requires a NASA way to collectively leverage these processes External Centennial together to efficiently: Informal SBIR/STTR Challenges Committees Working Prizes Groups • Manage NASA‟s innovation pipeline growth NASA Enterprise NASA InnoCentive • Bring together the most appropriate subject Communities Architecture Communities of Challenge matter experts from across NASA at the right of Excellence Professional Center Innovations Practice Results time to drive early adoption Findings Societies Funds 9
- 11. ITCD hypothesized that transforming this informal relationship network and supporting processes into a more transparent, interactive and collaborative structure would better facilitate the process of innovation at NASA Internal-NASA Innovation Sources Develop an Opportunities for Innovation interactive, collaborative platform… Leveraging and cultivating 1 existing relationships between NASA and external partners Identify opportunities for re-use 2 across technologies beyond original functional design or intent Connect scientists and External Sources of Innovation 3 technologists together that is agnostic of geography, function or Private Public organization Sector Sector Involve scientists and technologist …for bringing together 4 dynamically to actively submit, technologists and discuss and collaborate on new Interest R&D and innovators to drive ideas Groups Universities innovation across NASA 10
- 12. Based on this hypothesis, ITCD initiated the development of an end-to-end immersive approach to innovation through the development of an Innovation "Ecosystem" (In)novations Showcase 1 Curated Governance 5 2 NASA Innovation Relationships Ecosystem 4 3 Technology innovate.nasa.gov Focus Areas The NASA Innovation Ecosystem is not one singular solution, but a composite of several transformational components that collectively support innovation across NASA with a focus on cross-cutting technology and advanced cross-cutting information technology supporting infrastructure 11
- 13. Agenda What is Innovation? Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Governance Future Development Activities Q&A 12
- 14. The most visible aspect of the Ecosystem, (In)novations provides a tangible demonstration of emerging technologies that can prompt new dialogue and interaction (In)novations is a physical area at NASA HQ for display of emerging technologies and an area for collaboration The showcase enables innovation at NASA by providing a tangible demonstration of how innovation and technology injection at NASA can work and interact with stakeholders (In)novations Capabilities Touch All displays in the space touch-enabled Gesturetek ScreenFX enabling Gesture interaction with NASA content from passerby's Augmented Overlay data about technology in the Reality showcase via iPad Automated content delivery; twitter, QR Codes email (In)novations provides a means to interact with emerging technology, discuss technologies on display with colleagues and others, and spark the imagination for uses beyond the original intent 13
- 15. To-date, vendors from across the country have participated in the (In)novations Showcase, demonstrating their technologies and becoming apart of NASA’s curated relationships portfolio Vendors now have an single point of entry to demo, discuss, receive feedback and expand the use of their SansEC developed technologies within NASA beyond both Uses magnetic fields to induce their core customers and even the perceived uses of power and make determinations the technologies…at virtually no cost to NASA about the conditions being monitored without using Emotive EPOC electrical connections A neuroheadset based Infrascanner on the latest in neuro- A hand-held, non- technologies invasive, near-infrared (NIR) based mobile imaging device to detect brain Performance Status Monitoring hematoma at the site of injury A sensor system that tracks a user‟s vital statistics such as heart rate, EKG, Briefcam breathing rate, surface body A video analytics temperature, activity level, posture, and technology designed to exertion levels and then streams the mitigate the amount of data in real-time time required to review recordings 14
- 16. The NASA HQ (In)novations is the first in a series of showcases across the NASA centers, comprising a network that highlights mission technologies, prototypes and concepts Centers are encouraged to build their own showcases Benefits of Technology and to expand the reach of technology sharing Innovation Network Pilot between NASA HQ and Booz Allen underway to As additional Technology determine repeatable approach for expanding the Showcases are established the network across NASA and other external organizations network expands allowing further (e.g. DARPA) collaboration between Centers and missions Example of Potential Agency Example of Inter-Organizational Technology Exchange Network Technology Exchange Network The Network will act as a library allowing for internetwork loans of physical technology Technology & Innovation Space reserved to display NASA Network technology innovation award winners and innovative results of STEM partnerships 15
- 17. As a companion to the Innovation Showcase, innovate.nasa.gov was developed to virtualize the Technology Showcase and provide a means for online collaboration and discussion innovate.nasa.gov augments the information available to visitors in the physical showcase and serves as a virtual information sharing and collaboration platform The platform is open to all innovation partners…including NASA employees, educational institutions, other Government agencies and Industry Innovation and Technology Facilitation Enterprise 2.0 Capabilities (In)novations (In)novation Partners Collaboration and Technology Focus Networking Areas 16
- 18. While the Platform provides an avenue for viewing and discussing new technologies, active participation by technology communities will be critical to driving innovation within the Ecosystem NASA Technology Focus Area Technology Focus Areas (TFAs) will form the basis for determining the opportunities, relevance, application and interest in emerging Framework technologies introduced within innovate.nasa.gov and the (In)novations showcase Utilizing existing communities of interest within the Agency and the Office of the Chief Technologists (OCT) Space Technology Roadmap (2011) taxonomy, approximately 16 mission-technology driven TFAs OCT Space Technology Roadmap will be established within the Innovation Ecosystem Taxonomy Listing Technology Focus Area Examples Robotics Enabling Nanotechnology Landing Information Systems Technology Active participation by the Technology Focus Areas is a critical success factor to the overall health of the Innovation Ecosystem, to be facilitated by engaging with stakeholders in the following ways… 17
- 19. Finally, underpinning the success of the Ecosystem is to actively engage stakeholders within and external to NASA using an overarching governance plan The establishment of an overarching governance process is essential towards bringing together NASA and external stakeholders, engaging them the criticality of innovation across mission technology, and sustaining the Innovation Ecosystem Internally Stakeholder Engagement Externally Focused Focused NASA Stakeholder Engagement NASA Innovation Partners Maintaining engaged Identifying, managing and stakeholders and leadership sustaining and evolving who are actively participating, critical technology influencing and sustaining the relationships outside of innovation pipeline NASA The above supports NASA‟s overarching innovation governance, which can be leveraged for facilitating interactions, requesting directed research to further a specific field, teaming on missions, and discovering innovation early in its lifecycle Filename/RPS Number 18
- 20. Agenda What is Innovation? Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Governance Future Development Activities Q&A 19
- 21. In conclusion, there is a great amount of excitement, buy-in and success stories already generated through the development of the Innovation Ecosystem…and more is on it’s way Major milestones of the Innovation Ecosystem reached to date include… (In)novations (In)novations Showcase is under Showcase Design construction at NASA HQ Completed Vendors Secured for Initial set of technology vendors are on display at the NASA PM Challenge Showcase Launch temporary showcase innovate.nasa.gov innovate.nasa.gov website has been developed and will be deploying in early Website Developed 2012 …next steps include the first refresh of technologies within the (In)novations Showcase and innovate.nasa.gov website, and expansion of the Showcase network across other Agencies and organizations Filename/RPS Number 20
- 22. As part of the NASA PM Challenge, ITCD is providing a demonstration of the (In)novations Showcase and platform… …we encourage participants to interact with the (In)novation Showcase and innovate.nasa.gov website and provide feedback as to how these tools can continue to support the Agency 21
- 23. For more information about the NASA HQ Innovation Ecosystem Program, please contact the following… National Aeronautics and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Administration Victor Thompson Brady Decker Deputy Chief Information Officer Chief Technology Officer Information Technology and Communications Information Technology and Communications Directorate (ITCD) Directorate (ITCD) NASA Headquarters NASA Headquarters 300 E Street SW 300 E Street SW Washington, DC 20546-0001 Washington, DC 20546-0001 202.358.7220 www.nasa.gov 202.358.2520 www.nasa.gov victor.thompson-1@nasa.gov brady.w.decker@nasa.gov Jill A.C. Hardash Richard Summers Senior Associate Associate Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc. Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc. Pacific Concourse Drive Pacific Concourse Drive Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Tel (310) 297 1827 Tel (310) 297 5539 hardash_jill@bah.com summers_richard@bah.com 22
- 24. Agenda Overview of NASA HQ Innovation Ecosystem Assessment Approach Components of Innovation Ecosystem – (In)novations – Curated Relationships – innovate.nasa.gov – Technology Focus Areas – Stakeholder Engagement Future Development Activities Q&A 23
- 25. Questions? 24