#United States #Arlington #Air Force #Istari Digital #Industry Øne

Department of the Air Force Invests in Digital Transformation

The U.S. Department of the Air Force has recently taken a substantial step toward modernizing its operations by awarding an $8.6 million contract to Istari Digital. This significant investment will kickstart the Industry Øne initiative, aiming to revolutionize how organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) collaborate and share engineering data. The recognition of the need for a more integrated digital infrastructure reflects a growing urgency in the defense sector to overcome existing digital engineering barriers.

Breaking Down Digital Barriers

The DIB consists of thousands of suppliers, many of whom are still working with legacy systems and isolated tools that hinder effective collaboration. The traditional process often involves manually copying and sharing data, which not only risks data integrity but also complicates communication between departments. With Industry Øne, Istari aims to transform this landscape by promoting a collaborative environment without compromising security. The initiative will separate data control from connection, establishing a groundbreaking infrastructure that retains the integrity of data while making it more accessible for real-time collaboration.

Will Roper, the CEO of Istari Digital and a former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, emphasizes that this initiative is akin to providing a 'Git-like' experience within strictly controlled environments. This allows organizations to collaborate across different firewall protections safely, mitigating the risks involved in sharing sensitive data.

Proven Foundations

This new initiative builds on Istari's successful past efforts such as Flyer Øne, a collaboration with the Air Force Research Lab and Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. Flyer Øne is currently developing digital certification processes for the X-56A X-plane, showcasing the effectiveness of digital engineering in high-stakes projects. The previous achievements have paved the way for Industry Øne, allowing the framework to address issues at an industrial scale.

Innovative Collaboration Mechanisms

The framework of the Industry Øne initiatives is fundamentally transformative. Unlike traditional methods where data is centralized or duplicated, Istari's platform allows organizations to maintain their autonomy while collaborating through controlled and auditable connections. Each supplier keeps its own firewall in place and maintains data sovereignty, facilitated by an 'Internet of Models' that allows these organizations to interact securely. This model enables engineers in both government and private sectors to verify design integrity, run automated testing, and utilize validated results in real-time.

A Significant Shift

Industry Øne signifies a pivotal shift from document-driven processes to live engineering systems, ensuring that collaboration can happen across various security and organizational boundaries without centralizing the data. This transition brings Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) methodologies to defense acquisition processes, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.

"Every barrier we've removed has made the next one easier," Roper said, highlighting the progressive nature of Industry Øne. This initiative aims not only to improve efficiency but also to foster a level digital playing field across the DIB, ultimately leading to enhanced capability development and faster response times to emerging challenges.

About Istari Digital

Istari Digital is at the forefront of developing infrastructure that supports decentralized, zero-trust environments. By enabling seamless integration of models, data, and AI without centralization, Istari ensures that engineering data remains live, AI-native, and independently auditable. This innovative approach is poised to redefine the future of engineering in no-fail industries. For more information, visit istaridigital.com.