Digital Engineering and Design Center for Space Applications established to develop talent
May 27, 2025
Kent State, Ohio, USA, has announced plans to establish a Digital Engineering and Design Center for Space Applications (DEDC Space@Kent), through partnerships with its own College of Aeronautics and Engineering (CAE), the US National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET), and the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI).
This initiative – funded through the US Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment programme and led by its Innovation Capability and Modernization Office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense – aims to address existing challenges while laying the foundation for valuable insights and actions. It aims to guide the broader sector and uncover key opportunities for deeper analysis. Its ultimate goal is the creation of an integrated digital engineering environment capable of boosting the capabilities of SMMs and developing a robust digital engineering talent infrastructure, ultimately fortifying the defence industrial base (DIB) and enhancing domestic manufacturing competitiveness.
“There is an [education and workforce development] element to this initiative, but it’s also about elevating the capabilities of regional manufacturers in resource-constrained communities, promoting the adoption of technology, and leveraging expertise from across the US,” explained Jamie White, Senior Director at NCDMM.
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Digital twins
As it aims to boost digital engineering, a key focus of the DoD is the integration digital twin technology, which can improve product quality, reduce costs, expedite lead times, and increase customisation. This process may also enhance traceability, support early testing, ensure rigorous validation, facilitate model reuse, and strengthen stakeholder communication in complex component production.
Digital twin technology creates a real-time virtual model of a physical object, process, or system. This model is continuously updated through data connections, enabling optimised performance and insights. Its ability to enable rapid prototyping, complex system design, surge capacity during conflicts, and low-cost weapon systems is said to highlight the DoD’s drive for widespread implementation. However, education and workforce development (EWD) gaps among high- and middle-skilled workers, as well as small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in resource-constrained communities, pose significant challenges to progress. Nevertheless, the lack of knowledge about digital transformation is not limited to SMMs; it extends across government, industry, and higher education.
Building EWD infrastructure across digital engineering
The swift transition to Digital Engineering may pose significant challenges for educational institutions seeking to adapt. Dr Joycelyn Harrison, Associate Dean at the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, noted, “Lifecycle digital engineering and system design from concept to retirement are not traditionally included in engineering curricula.”
The manufacturing sector is already expected to face an workforce shortage of around 4.6 million jobs by 2028, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. As such, it is crucial for government, academia, and industry to collaborate on developing innovative educational and training methods to address workforce acquisition and retention, thereby fostering the growth of regional manufacturing clusters.
The DEDC Space@Kent is expected to play a pivotal role as one of the first centres of its kind, offering undergraduates practical skills through year-long internships in DE. Students will gain hands-on experience in designing, developing, testing, and implementing aerospace systems with a focus on cybersecurity, aligned with systems engineering principles from the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory Cyber-Informed Engineering initiative.
“We are strategically located in a region with strong congressional support, eager to see Ohio students trained in the latest, most in-demand areas. Also, we have companies, the military, NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and other entities in our region,” explained Dr Harrison. “Thinking long-term, the region will benefit as we engage with both large and small component developers in aerospace technology. Many smaller companies lack the necessary cybersecurity infrastructure required by the DoD for integration into larger systems. Our initiative will help these companies enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.”
Although still in its early stages, the programme has reportedly provided valuable career development skills for students.
