News Release
CNA Holds Inaugural Innovation Day—Shaping the Future Through Research
On December 4, CNA hosted its first ever Innovation Day, with the theme Shaping the Future Through Research. The event showcased some of CNA’s most innovative self-funded public release research and gave the more than 100 government leaders and researchers in attendance a chance to engage directly with analysts leading those projects.
“Never before have we brought together so many of our partners, sponsors, and clients under one roof on the same day to showcase CNA’s most innovative self-funded research.” said CNA CEO and President Katherine McGrady.
Podium presentations, panel discussions, and poster displays covered more than 20 studies under CNA’s Innovation Incubator, or CNAi2, from Ecosystem Mapping for Climate Change to Modeling Cyber Force Commander Decisions. “CNA’s Innovation Incubator is not just a hub for ideas; it's where creative problem-solving meets actionable solutions, driving real impact,” said head of CNAi2 and Vice President and Director Halleh Seyson, who leads the Enterprise Systems and Data Analysis Division. “CNA has always fostered a culture of innovation and forward-thinking creativity.”
Keynote speaker U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier praised the “very senior leaders” in attendance for making the effort “to deliberately schedule time in busy schedules to learn something new, to talk to somebody who comes from a different area of expertise … so we can collectively learn together.” He added, “This could be the most intellectually interesting couple of hours that we’ll have all year.”
CNAi2 research falls under five core Incubators, which reflect our emphasis on cross-company collaboration and synergies among both the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) and Institute for Public Research (IPR) sides of the company: AI and Autonomy; Emerging Security Threats; Emerging Technologies; Modeling, Simulation, and Gaming; and Predictive Analytics and Data Visualization. In our Meet the Innovator series, we interview the analysts behind CNAi2 projects about their work and their innovation process.
CNA is a nonprofit research and analysis organization dedicated to the safety and security of the nation. It operates the Center for Naval Analyses—the federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) of the Department of the Navy—as well as the Institute for Public Research. CNA develops actionable solutions to complex problems of national importance. With nearly 700 scientists, analysts, and professional staff, CNA takes a real-world approach to gathering data. Its unique Field Program places analysts on aircraft carriers and military bases, in squad rooms and crisis centers, working side by side with operators and decision-makers around the world. CNA supports naval operations, fleet readiness, and strategic competition. Its non-defense research portfolio includes criminal justice, homeland security, and data management.
Note to writers and editors: CNA is not an acronym and is correctly referenced as "CNA, a research organization in Arlington, VA."