MODSIM WORLD 2009

MODSIM WORLD is an International Conference & Exposition for the exchange of modeling & simulation knowledge, research, and technology across industry, government, and academia.

This year's conference, the third annual, focuses on 21st Century Decision-Making: The Art of Modeling & Simulation. Speakers, educational tracks, presentations, and product demonstrations will center on using modeling and simulation tools and practices in emerging & innovative operating environments.

Attendees will learn about new applications and practices and have an opportunity to network with other industry professionals.

October 14-16th at the Virginia Beach Convention Center

For updated information, schedules, and opportunities to take part, visit MODSIM World 2009!

M&S Caucus Leadership Summit

by Andrew Sinclair, HRP Program Manager

On February 2, industry leaders from across the nation gathered at Norfolk’s Waterside Marriott to discuss modeling and simulation in their regions with Congressmen Forbes, Scott, and Wittman for the annual M&S Caucus Leadership Summit. The Summit this year focused on regional initiatives and needs.

Dana Dickens, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Partnership, participated in the first panel discussion of the day which focused on the Mid-Atlantic. Mr. Dickens discussed M&S activity in Hampton Roads including its significant economic impact, the development of a regional strategic plan for the industry, regional efforts to fund M&S programs by the General Assembly, the successful industry cluster model employed by the Hampton Roads Research Partnership and VMASC, and the MODSIM World Conference & Expo. Mr. Dickens urged the Congressional M&S Caucus to push for M&S industry-specific NAICS codes, continued support for JFCOM, and a new emphasis on non-DOD application areas for M&S.

2009 M&S Congressional Caucus Leadership Summit

View more presentations from Hamptonroads Partnership. (tags: hampton roads)

Other themes at the Summit included M&S in health and medicine and the need for M&S in the developing realm of cyber-security as well as the development of “mixed reality” – the ability to manipulate real objects within a virtual world. The use of tax credits and the work of research centers around the country were also highlighted. Specifically, Georgia Tech’s Computational Science & Engineering Department and Texas A&M’s research center provide interesting models for Hampton Roads’ M&S programs and centers.

Overall, the Summit provided an excellent state of the industry and opportunity for feedback to the Congressional M&S Caucus. The leadership and participation of the Hampton Roads Congressional delegation in the Caucus and its continued hosting of the Summit in Hampton Roads cements the importance of this industry to the region and the region to the industry.

The conference presentations are now available online and can be found
at:
http://www.ndia.org/Resources/OnlineProceedings/Pages/91C0-2009MSLeadershipSummit.aspx

Simulation industry to face real world challenges

A lack of money and a lack of computer-savvy students stand in the way of growth.

BY HUGH LESSIG
February 3, 2009

NORFOLK - The modeling and simulation industry has great growth potential, but it faces political and educational challenges that are all too real, experts said Monday.

If industry executives sit on the sideline while Congress considers multibillion-dollar economic stimulus proposals they risk losing a financial lifeline, said U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake, a fierce critic of the various rescue plans.

Meanwhile, colleges and universities must reach out to find the young computer scientists and math wizards who can grow the industry. One educator said the shortage of qualified people is a chronic problem.

The comments came at the 4th annual Modeling and Simulation Leadership Summit in downtown Norfolk. It brought together scores of professionals from the military, NASA Langley Research Center, major universities and companies such as Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

The event was co-hosted by a congressional caucus devoted to the industry, which Forbes co-chairs. Addressing the conference over lunch, he said the industry must fight for every available dime.

"There is a debate and a dialogue that we must have in this country," he said, "or else everything you do in this room is going to be overshadowed."

The House of Representatives passed an $819 billion economic stimulus plan last week and President Barack Obama is urging the Senate to take up the matter. But Forbes — one of a handful of lawmakers who has rejected every bailout plan from day one — said the cost is so high it would equal the budgets for several major agencies.

"You need to be part of that debate," he said, "because it's going to be a very, very real part of your future, of what we do in modeling and simulation and the defense of this country for years to come."

Judging from the various panel discussions, modeling and simulation has moved well beyond its initial applications for the military, although that relationship helps to support the economy in Hampton Roads. The Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center is located in Suffolk, as is the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center.

Health care is a growing field, as surgeons use computer modeling to practice new or risky techniques. Steve Dawson, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said simulated training has been linked to fewer errors and lower rates of malpractice insurance.

Transportation is another applicable area. Dana Dickens, CEO and president of the Hampton Roads Partnership, said a computer model allowed policymakers to gauge the effectiveness of six major transportation projects in the region.

But when asked to name the biggest challenge to growing the industry, Dickens had a ready answer.

"Work force," he said.

Old Dominion University, which runs the modeling and simulation center, offers graduate degrees in modeling and simulation, but that is a rarity.

Georgia Tech recently established a division within its College of Computing that seeks to develop modeling and simulation experts. Richard Fujimoto, its founder, said there has been a steady decline of students entering the computer science field since the dot-com bubble burst nearly a decade ago.

"That trend," he said, "is only starting to bottom out."

Reprinted by permission of The Daily Press.

Modeling and simulation industry can spur our economic recovery

by Dana Dickens, President and CEO of Hampton Roads Partnership

Gov. Tim Kaine's proposed state budget will require plenty of belt-tightening in Hampton Roads, but there is some good news for the region. The governor wants to maintain funding near its current level for Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC), and his strategy makes perfect sense.

The relatively new industry of modeling, simulation and visualization (MS&V), is the kind of economic development that can speed Virginia's recovery during challenging economic times. Currently, more than 125 engineering graduate students at ODU are conducting research and studying at VMASC, gaining the qualifications they need to fill jobs in a variety of businesses and industries throughout Hampton Roads.

MS&V comprises numerous planning, analysis and training tools made possible by sophisticated computing. These tools can suggest and test concepts, minimizing reliance upon trial and error, and they can present information in ways that enhance comprehension. For example, the tools might teach a medical student how to perform a surgical procedure without putting an actual patient in harm's way. Other applications are seen in simulations to test aircraft designs, in vehicular traffic models to simulate — and improve — flow along highways, in video games to teach algebra, and in models to predict the performance of a soldier or an athlete. Artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual environments also are part of MS&V.

An economic impact study released earlier this year by Angle Technology found that MS&V enterprises in the region provide more than 4,000 high- wage jobs. These workers earn an average annual salary of $83,000, up by 37 percent since 2004 and more than double the average for all Hampton Roads workers. Furthermore, the MS&V industry adds at least $365 million to the Hampton Roads economy, and MS&V employment rose 25 percent between 2004 and 2007 with forecasted growth of 14.5 percent each year through 2012.

VMASC, established by ODU in 1997, has been a catalyst for growth in the MS&V sector, not just in the region but across the commonwealth. VMASC experts also have been called upon by the General Assembly to conduct studies and make recommendations on policy matters ranging from road construction to disaster planning.

VMASC's mission is to educate leaders in this field, to conduct cutting-edge research, to nurture start-up companies and to create jobs. Independent surveys taken since 2004 show that the center is succeeding in its mission, and the governor sees great value in this investment.

The $2.1-million budget proposal for VMASC proposed by Kaine demonstrates his faith in the economic development stimulus of the MS&V industry in Virginia, and the unique role that VMASC plays in educating leaders in this field.

MS&V growth in the region reflects the support of leaders in government, education and industry who believe Virginia, especially Hampton Roads, can become an international leader in this high-technology field.

I applaud the governor for his efforts to keep MS&V as a key component of his economic development plan for Virginia. It is this kind of strategic investment that will allow us to weather the current financial storm and emerge vibrant and prosperous.