March 21-22, 2024, Tampa FL

Hosted by Celestar

The Enhanced Object-Based Production (EOBP) conference (website and speaker slides here) marked a significant collaborative effort by:

• Celestar Corporation

• The National Center for Ontological Research (NCOR)

• Summit Knowledge Solutions

• RTX Corporation

• CUBRC

• SAIC

• Maxar Technologies

• Sensepoint

• Senior Government representatives.

With approximately 45 participants, the conference aimed to leverage Object Based Production (OBP), ontology, and Referent Tracking methodologies, to enhance intelligence workflows and data management strategies.

The event kicked off with presentations on foundational concepts such as the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), led by John Beverley, assistant professor at the University at Buffalo and co-director of NCOR, who emphasized the critical role of interoperability and data integration. Barry Smith, professor of the University at Buffalo and co-director of NCOR, explored Referent Tracking, a precise methodology for tracking entities across data sets, which underpins reliable data referencing and interoperability. Jim Tuson discussed the nuances of OBP, which focuses on the systematic handling of objects of interest to streamline intelligence processes.

The afternoon sessions delved deeper into Object Based Intelligence and Production (OBI/OBP) with John Sweet providing insights into how real-world objects are encapsulated within databases to bolster intelligence analysis. Forrest Hare followed with a discussion on the challenges and solutions related to ’track’ and how to track objects in terms of space and time. The keynote by David Limbaugh underscored the potential of enhancing OBP through ontology-based approaches, proposing the adoption of realist ontologies to ensure data model precision and reusability.

Day two commenced with Mark Jensen discussing 'stasis' in the Common Core Ontology (CCO), which facilitates stability in data models amidst change, followed by Erik Thomsen's presentation on the significance of composable and strongly typed ontologies. These sessions highlighted the necessity for robust ontologies that can adapt to complex information challenges, enhancing knowledge management in intelligence operations.

The conference concluded with a discussion on the spatial modeling within an ontological frameworks by John Beverley, and a discussion on government data organization strategies, with notable presentations by Bill Mandrick and Ryan Riccucci. Mandrick's talk suggested the inclusion of new terms to BFO and explored the taxonomy of functions, while Riccucci proposed more efficient data organization methods to alleviate government field action costs.

This gathering not only fostered a deeper understanding of EOBP but also set the stage for continued advancements in integrating ontology with object-based production, aiming for enhanced methodological cohesion and efficiency in intelligence operations. Plans for a follow-up conference are already underway, promising further progress in these critical areas.