Additive Manufacturing in Naval Domain: Innovation, Adoption and Taxonomy of Cybersecurity Threats

Abstract

A growing potential and promise that additive manufacturing (AM) brings to Naval domain is matched with a set of activities focused on service members’ innovation, experimentation and rapid prototyping with a range of technologies including AM. Increased level of warfighters readiness and self-sustainment in DON operations are at the center of those efforts. We investigated select elements of innovation and adoption process, and added much needed understanding in domain of cybersecurity. Our research included collaboration and visits to Naval Fabrication Laboratories, Maker spaces and units with AM capabilities. We collected a comprehensive data sets relevant to innovation, adoption and cybersecurity, and documented examples of innovation efforts done by the Sailors and Marines. The work produced a set of recommendations with guidance directed towards most effective approaches in support of bottom-up innovation process, large scale adoption strategies, elements of self-sustainable and scalable adoption process, guidance for distribution of efforts, resources and programs, as well as management of cybersecurity infrastructure and needed approaches, all geared towards achieving maximum use of the technology and innovation practices without sacrificing on cybersecurity. The results of this work - data points and insights acquired through our work with the stakeholders - are used to further refine our model of Diffusion of Innovation in Military Domain.