Python isn’t just a language you code in—it’s the foundation for some of today’s most groundbreaking technologies. From large-scale simulations to NLP and AI, Python is powering research and innovation across industries. By integrating Python into open source platforms, high-performance workflows, and next-generation applications, Kitware is helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects.

Powered by Python

Across Kitware’s suite of open source platforms, Python transforms what could be just software into engines of innovation—scalable, customizable, and collaborative tools designed to solve real-world challenges. For example:

• ParaView — We leverage Python scripting to help partners customize and automate large-scale visualization workflows, reducing manual steps and accelerating insight.
  
• 3D Slicer — Our teams extend Slicer through Python modules to support advanced medical imaging research, enabling rapid prototyping and clinical translation.
  
• trame — Built around Python-first development, trame lets us quickly deploy interactive visualization and simulation applications directly in the browser—without requiring web expertise.
  
• Catalyst — By integrating Catalyst’s Python capabilities into HPC environments, we connect simulations with live analysis, cutting data movement, and unlocking real-time decision-making.
  
• ITK & VTK — Foundational toolkits with robust Python interfaces, ITK and VTK bring advanced image processing and visualization capabilities to developers and researchers worldwide.

Case Studies: Python in Action

The impact of Python is best seen in practice. Here are a few ways Kitware has helped partners solve complex challenges with Python-powered solutions:

Interactive Climate Analytics

With Pan3D, researchers can build complete climate workflows in Python, enabling interactive exploration of multidimensional datasets. Outcome: Faster, more intuitive insight generation.

Ultrasound Research

OpenLIFU, built on Slicer’s Python framework, provides modular pipelines for focused ultrasound research. Outcome: Development time was cut in half, and collaboration broadened across institutions.

Complex Data Analysis

For a top U.S. university, Kitware integrated scalable Python workflows to streamline complex data analysis. Outcome: More efficient data processing and visualization, as well as improved collaboration. 

Beyond Platforms: Building the Python Ecosystem

Kitware doesn’t just build with Python—we help strengthen the ecosystem itself by:

• Scikit-build-core, which streamlines building Python extensions with CMake. It is downloaded over 5 million times per month, underscoring its widespread adoption across the Python ecosystem (SciPy 2024 Proceedings).
  
• Maintaining the CMake and Ninja Python packages—each downloaded tens of millions of times monthly—which serve as essential tools for developers worldwide.
  

• Supporting the Scientific Python Library Development Guide, a community resource that helps new contributors adopt sustainable practices.
  
• Maintaining the CPython CMake Buildsystem, a modern replacement for CPython’s legacy build tooling. It simplifies cross-compiling, unifies build information across platforms, integrates seamlessly with tools like Ninja, and significantly accelerates build times.

These efforts ensure Python continues to thrive as a sustainable foundation for innovation.

What’s Trending Now: Python for AI, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing

Python dominates AI and machine learning because it supports nearly every stage of the pipeline, from research and prototyping to large-scale deployment. Its rich ecosystem of libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and spaCy, combined with strong community support, has made it the default choice for projects across government, academia, and industry. As natural language processing (NLP) tools become increasingly prominent, Python’s role will only expand further, powering applications from automated translation and sentiment analysis to large language models.

Kitware has experienced this trend firsthand. Our explainable AI software package for the U.S. Department of Defense, large-scale data exploration for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and developing AI models for underwater acoustics for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) all rely heavily on Python. 

As tools like large language models become more prominent, expect Python to continue shaping next-generation applications, from conversational AI to real-time decision-making.

Harnessing Python

For organizations already invested in Python, the next challenge is scaling that investment—sustainably, securely, and at speed. Python is more than a programming language—it’s the strategic engine behind today’s most innovative technologies.

At Kitware, we partner with organizations to translate Python’s potential into measurable impact: accelerating discovery, improving workflows, and sustaining open innovation. If your organization is ready to take its Python-based projects to the next level, we’d love to collaborate. Contact us to get started.