ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
CENTERSTATE CEO
Visit with the Centerstate CEO New York
(September 15) Steven King Director Central
New York International Business Alliance; Michael
Novakowski Director of Business Development;
Andrew Fish Senior Vice President, Business
Development.
Incorporating Unmanned Airborne Vehicle
( UAV) research emanating from the Northeast
UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance in
Syracuse, the meeting was dominated by the global
opportunity afforded New York State to become the
world leader in creating the international standards
(ISO equivalent) for the drone industry.
As part of the ‘Central NY Rising’ Upstate
revitalisation initiative blueprint to grow the local
economy and C21 jobs (knowledge intensive jobs),
the August 2016 $5m announcement to support
and grow the emerging Unmanned Aerial Systems
(UAS) will possibly lead the way in designing and
managing unmanned aerial traffic management
infrastructure. The payday would likely come in
the form of manufacturing, testing, prototyping
and engineering services in the first instance. The
economic developers working within this space are
already mapping supply chain advantages over the
short and medium term as the emerging market
matures and the supply chain forms.
The deliberate strategy of positioning the region as
the unmanned aircraft industry hub allows the rapid
development and deployment of first generation
traffic management systems, delivery systems,
national security, government monitoring and
commercial (retail supply chain) applications.
The broader lesson for outer metropolitan areas of
Australia is the opportunity to create links between
relevant research partners, suitable geography and
location and testing programs.
The research interest to outer metropolitan Australian
local government (2016 population rates of
approximately 5m residents as reported by National
Growth Areas Alliance NGAA) was the following:
creation of active and vibrant activity centres; local
supply chain opportunities regarding manufacturing,
high-tech, healthcare, retail and tourism/hospitality
attraction and activation strategies by the local
government and industry bodies.
http://www.centerstateceo.com/
http://www.centerstateceo.com/news-events/
nuair-alliance-announces-new-ceo
The efficacy of encouraging
innovation districts, clean energy
trials within both new and legacy
suburbs, and how to incorporate
micro-grids and novel infrastructure
adaptations that require land,
local workforce and emerging
technologies can incubate local
talent and new jobs.
CONCLUSION
There is an immediate opportunity for Australian
economic developers to play an active role in
new technology application (Smart Cities) testing
and deployment. The efficacy of encouraging
innovation districts, clean energy trials within both
new and legacy suburbs, and how to incorporate
micro-grids and novel infrastructure adaptations
that require land, local workforce and emerging
technologies can incubate local talent and new
jobs.
The focus of this study tour was specific and
deliberate. The opportunity to deeply interact
with new economy employment initiatives (e.g.
clean technology, digital applications, advanced
manufacturing and technical supply chains) and
projects requiring partner assembly and execution
demonstrated how value can be created and then
replicated (exported).
The move toward competitive regional
advantages and bespoke activity is a welcome
move in the direction of activity centres of
differentiation and specialty and not simply ‘me-
too’ lookalike centres. Further investigations and
examples reinforcing the value of specialisation
will allow local economic developers to execute
‘sharper’ and customised strategies that focus
on their specific competitive advantages. To
be vanilla is to be destined to predictable local
economy outcomes within the traded (internally
lead) economy.
One of the drivers (IEDC Federal Forum
Washington DC April 2017) carried over into
this study tour and conference attendance and
was worth repeating with respect to economic
development being integral to place-making.
VOL.11 NO.1 2018 | 22