May 5, 2026
George Mason University will host the NIBS / NSF Spatiotemporal Innovation Center Digital Summit on May 5, 2026. The summit will bring together leaders from academia, government, and industry to explore how artificial intelligence and digital technologies can transform the built environment.
The event will highlight emerging opportunities for applying AI to areas such as project planning, design, procurement, supply chain management, construction, and building operations. Participants will discuss how advanced digital platforms and intelligent systems can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and enable more resilient infrastructure.
The summit will also feature collaboration with Salesforce and The NEW National Museum of the United States Navy, who are partnering to explore next-generation approaches for AI-enabled buildings and infrastructure systems. The initiative aims to provide a collaborative environment where industry experts, government partners, and university AI teams can explore innovative solutions and mentorship opportunities.
Additional event details, speakers, and agenda information will be announced as they become available.
Digital Ecosystem Summit – Draft Schedule
NSF DT-RICH Center / National Institute of Building Sciences
George Mason University – May 5, 2026
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 10:00 | Start Up AI Seed Contracts | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Welcome | – K. Dixon Wright (SRC Digital Insurance Services, FISTech) – Chaowei Phil Yang (NSF DT-RICH Center at George Mason University) – Jay Kline (National Institute of Building Services) |
| 1:20 | The Power of a Shared Vision — The Apollo Program was not just a mission to the Moon. It unified government, industry, academia, and the public around a shared purpose and demonstrated how large-scale missions can transform infrastructure and innovation. | – K. Dixon Wright – NASA |
| 1:40 | Potential of AI and Digital Twins — Salesforce and the Navy Museum Foundation are exploring the proposed new National Museum of the U.S. Navy as a catalyst for digital twins, artificial intelligence, and next-generation infrastructure. | – David Adams (Navy Museum Development Foundation) – Charlie Isaacs (Salesforce VP/CTO for Customer Connection) |
| 2:10 | The Role of Federal Government – DATA Act — The nation’s first open data law: the legacy vision, today’s reality, and future opportunities. | – Alfred Berkeley (Princeton Capital) – TBD |
| 2:40 | The Role of Federal Agencies — NSF Digital Twin Research, Innovation & Collaboration Hub (DT-RICH) | – Chaowei Phil Yang (George Mason University, NSF Spatiotemporal Innovation Center) – Jay Kline (NIBS Program Director – Digital Technology) |
| 3:10 | Break | |
| 3:30 | ADCMS Briefing – Startup AI Seed Grants Research Results | – Chaowei Phil Yang (George Mason University) – Jorge Vanegas (Texas A&M Department of Architecture) – Alfred Berkeley (Johns Hopkins Technology Venture Fund) – Calvin Kam (Strategic Building Innovation) |
| 4:30 | Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems — buildingSMART (Engineering, inspection, and BIM/IFC standards); Digital Twin Consortium / EDM / OMG (Digital twin governance and lifecycle frameworks); Financial Data Exchange (FDX) (Real-time financial telemetry); HEEP, BIM4I (Collaboration platforms) | |
| 5:00 | Modernizing procurement and asset management | – Andres Carvallo (Project Austin) – TBD |
| 5:30 | Cinco De Mayo Happy Hour and Dinner |