One of the most rewarding aspects of this job (as president and CEO of CenterState CEO) is seeing, firsthand, the transformative effects that new growth and development have on our communities and the people who live here. As a kid who grew up in Utica, at a time when the Griffiss Air Force Base was […]
One of the most rewarding aspects of this job (as president and CEO of CenterState CEO) is seeing, firsthand, the transformative effects that new growth and development have on our communities and the people who live here.
As a kid who grew up in Utica, at a time when the Griffiss Air Force Base was shut down, seeing economic development that taps into the resources at Griffiss International Airport is personal. I watched this community go through a dramatic change virtually overnight. Five-thousand families were immediately and directly affected. Friends of mine left school and moved away in the middle of the year. Businesses that had grown to support Griffiss closed.
It is through this lens that I see the new opportunities and permanent businesses that the NUAIR Alliance is attracting to this region. Since being selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate one of just six Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) test sites in the country, the NUAIR Alliance is conducting research aimed at safely integrating unmanned systems into the national airspace. The alliance is currently working with six companies who are authorized to test new technologies, conduct research supporting industries from sensors to agriculture, and collecting and analyzing data to develop safety, performance, and certification standards for commercial and civilian use of UAS.
Ultimately, our region’s role in the UAS industry means new economic-development opportunities and jobs. It’s estimated that UAS test sites could have a total economic impact of more than $100 million and create more than 400 additional jobs in New York. Nationwide, the total economic impact of UAS industry in the U.S. could reach $82 billion by 2025. These opportunities have the potential to tap the expertise of our region’s top academic institutions (including Clarkson, Syracuse University, and Cornell, to name a few) and leading-edge companies in our region.
How our region can best maximize these innovations, jobs, and investments was the focus of the inaugural NUAIR Unmanned Aircraft Systems Industry Days, a two-day event that [took place Sept. 29-30]. More than 100 academic, public, and industry partners came together to share ideas and best practices as we advance this new industry in our region. Additionally, these thought leaders will work toward solutions for common challenges facing the industry as a whole.
This event marks an important milestone in the trajectory of the NUAIR program, which is establishing our region and the state as a leader in civil and commercial UAS development.
Robert M. Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This editorial is drawn and edited from the CEO Focus email newsletter the organization sent out on Sept. 26.