The Digital Trust Initiative is established at Discovery Park District at Purdue
New collaboration at the Discovery Park District at Purdue is creating a technology governance framework to empower its citizens to drive trust, sustainability and innovation.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Innovation Partners Institute at the Purdue Research Foundation, U.S. Ignite, and X.Q. Message on Tuesday (March 22) announced their collaboration on the Digital Trust Initiative at Discovery Park District at Purdue.
The Digital Trust Initiative is a community-centric technology governance, adoption and use framework that will:
Provide oversight for the deployment of smart technology across the district aimed at improving the residents' quality of life.
Establish guidelines for ethical data collection and use.
Empower the citizens of the community to have more agency and control over their digital identity.
Serve as an example for communities worldwide attempting to balance smart technology innovation with the values of the communities in which that technology exists.
Discovery Park District at Purdue is a 400-acre, $1-billion-plus purpose-driven community designed as a live, work, learn and play micro-urban environment adjacent to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. It benefits from small-town charm, the diversity and vibrancy of a university town, and an array of spaces and places that includes offices, innovation labs, retail shops, restaurants, and community and green spaces.
Discovery Park District at Purdue has also been nationally recognized for its novel approach to connectivity. It is home to the Convergence Center, a five-story commercial office building that serves as a "front door" to Purdue for companies and collaborators.
"Discovery Park District at Purdue is quickly becoming a commercial and residential hub. It has a strong orientation toward collaborative innovation driven by Purdue University's world-class students, faculty and research facilities," said Kelby Price, corporate development and business strategy at X.Q. Message. "As a 'connected community for connected innovation,' it is the perfect environment for us to explore uses of our zero-trust technology in support of a community-driven trust framework."
Troy Hege, vice president of research and technology at Purdue Research Foundation, said, "We are very excited about this collaboration. We have a unique opportunity to explore commercial and community data and trust models from around the world through our partners' very different and distinct perspectives, with an eye toward sustainability, innovation and trust."
Jigyasa Sharma, program manager at U.S. Ignite, said, "As the world becomes increasingly digital, the exponential increase in ambient data collection changes the way we think about trust, privacy, consent and security. We find ourselves in a trust paradox. Despite the substantial improvements technology has made to the quality of life, public trust in institutions is at an all-time low. This initiative will address this challenge and share its findings with smart communities across the country."
The Digital Trust Initiative has been made possible by a generous gift from Jay and Robyn Stead of Auckland, New Zealand, and the Stead Family Foundation. Jay Stead is a business leader and innovator. He graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management from the Krannert School of Business in 1986.
Since this initiative will uncover an abundance of facts, insights and analysis, the Innovation Partners Institute will launch a blog series titled "DigitalTrust@DPD" to share findings as they emerge throughout the process. These articles will be available at partnersforinnovation.org/news.
More information on the Digital Trust Initiative is available online.
About Innovation Partners Institute
Innovation Partners Institute is an innovation community designed to turn concepts into early-stage solutions to solve big problems. The institute is a collaborative "place in the middle," bringing together ideas and talent, hand-picked external experts, financial and corporate resources, and critical capabilities to address a specific challenge. IPI is centered at the Discovery Park District at Purdue adjacent to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in a 400-acre connected community powered by a 5G+ technology infrastructure. Visit partnersforinnovation.org.
About U.S. Ignite
U.S. Ignite, a nonprofit located in Washington, D.C., collaborates with smart communities and research testbeds to drive high-impact solutions to their toughest challenges. Operating like a high-tech startup, the organization delivers timely results by applying technical expertise, stakeholder engagement, and targeted tools. U.S. Ignite works tirelessly to ensure its programs are effective and reach the communities that need them the most. Learn more at us-ignite.org.
About X.Q. Message
X.Q. provides frictionless zero trust data protection. X.Q. Message meets today's need for a lightweight, internet-scale data protection solution for the cloud, communications, IoT sensors, and data lakes. X.Q. produces self-protecting data that utilizes a zero-trust security model that powers data to know who can read it, when, and where. Learn more at xqmsg.com.
Media inquiries: Lizette Arias, Lizzette.arias@us-ignite.org
Sources: Troy Hege, tdhege@prf.org
Jigyasa Sharma, jigyasa.sharma@us-ignite.org
Kelby Price, kelby@xqmsg.com