Turning data into action for community resilience
The NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming, led by Innosphere, is advancing technologies and data-driven systems that help communities better predict, prepare for and respond to natural hazards.
Anchored in a dynamic innovation corridor, the NSF ASCEND Engine brings together more than 50 partners across academia, industry and the public sector that are deploying advanced sensing and computational analytics to protect lives, property and critical systems. This collaboration is generating new jobs, supporting economic growth and positioning the Mountain West region as a leader in community resilience.
Technologies of focus include:
- Advanced sensing and artificial intelligence for real-time prediction of natural hazards, including wildfires, extreme weather and air quality risks.
- Weather and atmospheric modeling systems that improve community-level preparedness and situational awareness.
- Water and land system monitoring tools, including drought tracking, water resource management and soil health analytics.
- Decision-support platforms and digital twin frameworks that enable infrastructure operators and public agencies to model scenarios and respond in real time.
Region of service
The ASCEND Engine spans Colorado and Wyoming, a region that has experienced intensifying wildfires, droughts, soil degradation and worsening air quality. From high-desert plains to mountain ecosystems and from urban centers to remote areas, the region's varied geographic conditions make it a unique testbed for developing, testing and scaling next-generation resilience technologies.
Addressing challenges in a key U.S. sector
Natural hazards, including wildfires and extreme weather events, pose increasing risks to U.S. infrastructure, energy systems and communities. As these events grow more frequent and severe, they are placing greater strain on existing prediction systems and response capabilities.
The ASCEND Engine is building an ecosystem with the infrastructure, talent and technologies to meet this need. Through a coalition of over 50 partners, the ASCEND Engine is deploying solutions that enhance predictive capabilities, enable faster, more informed decision-making and mitigate the impact of catastrophic events.
Addressing challenges in a key U.S. sector
Natural hazards, including wildfires and extreme weather events, pose increasing risks to U.S. infrastructure, energy systems and communities. As these events grow more frequent and severe, they are placing greater strain on existing prediction systems and response capabilities.
The ASCEND Engine is building an ecosystem with the infrastructure, talent and technologies to meet this need. Through a coalition of over 50 partners, the ASCEND Engine is deploying solutions that enhance predictive capabilities, enable faster, more informed decision-making and mitigate the impact of catastrophic events.
Workforce development: People, skills and the future of data-driven, environmental decision-making
The ASCEND Engine's workforce development efforts focus on building the talent pipeline required to design, deploy and sustain sensing and computational technologies that improve regional resilience. Across Colorado and Wyoming, the ASCEND Engine is connecting people to careers in systems engineering, data science, software development and environmental science through coordinated partnerships with academic institutions, community colleges, national laboratories, industry and workforce organizations.
The ASCEND Engine's approach to upskilling working professionals and creating pathways into high‑impact careers is intentionally built on real‑world applications, ensuring participants gain skills directly relevant to protecting power systems, water supplies and communities from wildfire, drought and extreme weather.
These efforts include:
- Upskilling and reskilling opportunities for nondegreed workers, developed in partnership with workforce organizations and regional workforce boards.
- Collaborations with universities and community colleges in Colorado and Wyoming to expand hands‑on, lab‑ and field‑based technical training.
- Regional training initiatives in data analytics and hazard‑related technologies.
- Internship, work‑based learning and employer talent‑matching pathways connecting students and trainees directly to employers, which included placing over 130 systems engineering internships into companies.
- Cross‑sector coordination among academia, national labs, industry and community partners to align education and training with workforce demand in ASCEND Engine‑related industries.
Examples of recent impact
In just two years, the ASCEND Engine generated an estimated $89.7 million impact on the regional economy through research and development and private capital investments in engine-affiliated startups.
- The ASCEND Engine launched a fully-equipped Digital Twins Accelerator and an Earth & Space Systems Accelerator for product and prototype testing with 22 participating startups.
- More than 500 students and interns were engaged in skill-building and outreach programming.
- 690 new jobs were created within the ecosystem.
58 new workforce partnerships were established to strengthen talent pipelines.
Additional information
Lead organization: Innosphere
Region of service: Colorado and Wyoming
NSF awards: NSF-2315316
Key technology areas
Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Information Science and Technology