At the recent annual meeting of CenterState CEO, 1,000 members came together to help mark the fifth anniversary of the organization and explore our theme of evolution and continuous innovation. Evolution is at the heart of some of our most recent civic successes — downtown Syracuse’s revitalization, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an improved industrial […]
At the recent annual meeting of CenterState CEO, 1,000 members came together to help mark the fifth anniversary of the organization and explore our theme of evolution and continuous innovation. Evolution is at the heart of some of our most recent civic successes — downtown Syracuse’s revitalization, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an improved industrial sector. However, if we are to fully meet the challenges and seize the opportunities before us, we must act together at a pace and scale we have never seen.
We don’t have to look any further than the private sector to find examples of those that have adapted to external pressures, turning challenges into opportunities. This includes businesses like Novelis, which is helping auto manufacturers like Ford, and its new F-150, meet new fuel economy standards. It also includes Ephesus, which seized on the global need for energy efficiency, growing from a startup at The Tech Garden to lighting the Super Bowl in five short years.
In his keynote address at the annual meeting, Dr. Parimal Kopardekar, a NASA scientist and leading innovator in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shared his vision for the future of the industry. He highlighted the pace at which UAS technology is advancing; the innovations taking place and the significant opportunities they’re creating; and the need for a nationwide system to increase efficiency, safety, and capacity of airspace operations.
Kopardekar’s perspective is incredibly relevant given CenterState CEO’s leadership role with the NUAIR Alliance — [a not-for-profit coalition of more than 70 private and public entities and academic institutions working together to operate and oversee UAS test ranges in New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. It is headquartered at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.]
NUAIR operates and manages one of just six UAS test sites in the country, helping to establish the case for safe UAS operations in the nation’s commercial airspace.
It’s also timely given the opportunity presented by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $1.5 billion Upstate Revitalization Initiative. As Howard Zemsky, the new president & CEO of Empire State Development clearly stated, this investment is our chance to turn our visions for transforming our economy into a reality.
The Upstate Revitalization Initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s critical to our continued economic reinvention and growth. I encourage you to become involved in these conversations and opportunities. As always, please contact me at president@centerstateceo.com to share your thoughts.
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 April 3.