DSIAC subject matter experts (SMEs) at BluePath Labs were tasked to support a manufacturing technology group within the U.S. Army on five different aspects of the technology landscape for digital thread/digital manufacturing:
- DoD policy framework and guidance for digital thread/manufacturing
- DoD policy framework and guidance on manufacturing cloud initiatives
- Current DoD/Services digital thread implementation efforts (how, where, with whom)
- Current commercial digital thread efforts to potentially leverage
- Potential courses of action for the Army
The SMEs used open-source research techniques, U.S. patent data, U.S. government contracts and grants, and an academic literature review to identify the main companies and researchers engaged in work related to digital thread technology, as well as the main government sponsors of that work.