Mark Peters took the helm as president and CEO of MITRE at a time when the federal government’s ability to move ideas into action is under growing scrutiny. That is where federally funded research and development centers, or FFRDCs, like those MITRE leads, play a critical role. Peters: Industry IRAD is essential. The strongest outcomes occur when industry innovation, government priorities and FFRDCs work together to move capabilities from concept to scale. MITRE’s recent extension of the D3FEND ontology to operational technology illustrates the need for systematic approaches.