Date of Award

5-2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Political Science

Abstract

The analysis of threats and vulnerabilities in a system is essential in developing resilience strategies to strengthen the system’s ability to adapt and succeed. This report delivers a threat analysis of ASPIRE, a research organization centered on engineering solutions for promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption. ASPIRE, which is an international network of university research partners and comprised primarily of engineering teams, is focused on developing technology that can be used by industry or governmental partners. The threat of low public buy-in for ASPIRE technology is one of the most significant concerns facing the system. Low adoption rates or public resistance against the company could lessen ASPIRE’s operational success and funding potential.

The ASPIRE system has strengths that improve its resilience, as well as vulnerabilities that put the system at greater risk of failing because of this threat. Existing community partnerships strengthen ASPIRE’s resistance to the threat of low public buy-in, but the company could benefit by increasing outreach to key stakeholders. The enthusiasm of ASPIRE employees about the company’s mission helps the company succeed in the face of risks. Additionally, ASPIRE’s varied research focuses allow it to retain its core purpose if one project fails. However, ASPIRE’s ability for threat recovery is potentially lowered because of reliance on public funding; proving worth to funders is challenging if ASPIRE projects fail to achieve public support.

The conclusion of this threat analysis is a set of recommendations to improve the system’s resilience potential. These recommendations include the implementation of training and project reporting so that every ASPIRE engineer includes an evaluation of public buy-in potential in their research process. Another recommendation is to increase marketing efforts to improve external perceptions of ASPIRE and address key concerns like product safety and usefulness. The final suggestion is to increase partnerships with industry members and community stakeholders. This builds ASPIRE’s recovery potential by positioning the organization in an advantageous place for future funding.

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Faculty Mentor

Jeannie Johnson

Departmental Honors Advisor

Colin Flint