An agent-based simulation laboratory for economics and infrastructure interdependency

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a next-generation agent-based economic 'laboratory' (N-ABLE) for analyzing the economic factors, feedbacks, and downstream effects of infrastructure interdependencies. N-ABLE is a simulation environment in which hundreds of thousands of individual economic actors simulate real-world manufacturing firms, government agencies, and households. N-ABLE can be demonstrated on a laptop supported by both an input and output graphical user interface that allow users to change parameters and simulate a multitude of "shocks" to the economy including electric power outages and shipping port closures. The tool has been used by several universities and three national laboratories for studies involving the economic impact of infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.