The National Weather Service (NWS) Virtual Laboratory: Connecting People – Enabling Innovation

The NWS Virtual Laboratory (VLab) is a service being developed within the NWS Office of Science and Technology that enables NWS employees and their partners to join efforts in ways never before possible. Most notably, they do not need to be co-located, yet they can easily share ideas, collaborate, engage in simultaneous software development, and conduct applied research. It leverages the foundation laid by advancing technology and ongoing efforts such as: AWIPS in a Cloud, AWIPS Local Applications Development, Innovation Web Portal, and the AWIPS-2 Development Process.

The Implementation of VLab will:

- Reduce the time and cost of transitions of NWS field innovations to enterprise operations, - minimize redundancy and leverage complementary, yet physically separated, skillsets, - forge scientific and technical solutions based on a broad, diverse consensus, and - promote an NWS culture based on collaboration and trust.

The VLab is intended to provide a cost effective, yet comprehensive means by which ideas can be discussed and tested, collaborations can be formed and nurtured, prototypes can be designed and proven, and projects can be established and primed for transition to operations. The presentation will cover the background and motivation of the VLab as well as give the most current update and progress, including examples of early efforts.