NGA Announces Tech Focus Areas for 2020

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has outlined its technology focus areas for 2020 and announced plans to release an agency-wide technology strategy soon.

NGA leaders divided the agency's technology needs into five areas: advanced analytics and modeling, data management, modern software engineering, artificial intelligence and future of work, MeriTalk reported Thursday.  

“The tech focus areas aren’t ‘shelfware’ – we are identifying opportunities to leverage non-traditional acquisition capabilities to address the needs outlined in this document,” NGA Chief Ventures Officer Christy Monaco said in a document.  

Mark Munsell, the NGA's chief technology officer, said the agency's 2020 Technology Focus Area publication focuses on needs rather than specific technologies.

“The changes we must make cannot only occur within the confines of NGA – they require the innovative spirit of industry to find new and unique solutions to some of our most difficult challenges,” Munsell said.

During the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation webinar, Munsell told the NGA's private-sector partners to consider the agency's enduring technology needs and on its goal to transform its technology strategy.

Melissa Planert, director of NGA's analysis tradecraft and technology group, stressed the importance of analytics and modeling in maintaining the agency's lead over its adversaries. 

NGA Deputy CTO Alexander Loehr highlighted the need to advance modern software engineering, an area in which he said the government often falls short.

“What we need to do is build and ship software that is better than our adversaries – and we need to do it faster,” Loehr said.