Cites 'Strong Culture Of Innovation' In The State

A team of Ohio’s Unmanned Aerial Systems experts arrived at XPONENTIAL 2018 Tuesday, ready to share why the Buckeye State’s UAS industry continues to grow and thrive.

“This year, Ohio partnered with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to focus on the partnership between Ohio and AFRL in Springfield,” said Maurice McDonald, Dayton Development Coalition’s Executive Vice President for Aerospace and Defense. “Ohio has the infrastructure and workforce to support the UAS industry. A strong culture of innovation and a thriving manufacturing industry provide an unmatched environment for UAS research, development and production.”

The State of Ohio and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced plans to invest a total of $5 million in a Ground Based Sense and Avoid system at Springfield-Beckley Airport for Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) research. Once the system is up and running later this year, it will allow AFRL to use more than 200 nm2 for UAS BLOS flight in unrestricted airspace.

Each year, the Dayton Development Coalition leads a delegation of Ohio UAS industry experts to showcase the State’s UAS strengths and highlight the work of Ohio-based UAS businesses, educational programs, and operational ranges. This year’s partnership with AFRL highlights the lab’s presence in the Dayton Region and the groundbreaking research it conducts in Ohio. The booth will feature presentations from AFRL and the State of Ohio.

The Air Force Research Laboratory and the NASA Glenn Research Center bolster the state’s robust reputation for aerospace research and development, with more than $9 Billion invested in R&D each year. Ohio is the number one supplier to Boeing and Airbus, and both companies spend more money in Ohio on their supply chain than any other state.

Though still primarily a military market, UAS have practical commercial applications such as border patrol, search and rescue, parks and recreation, fire and police assistance, and more. According to an economic study by AUVSI, the UAS industry will see considerable growth over the next several years, and by 2025, it’s projected that UAS integration will create more than 100,000 jobs, and have an economic impact upwards of $82 billion dollars. Leaders from the state, and at the DDC, have focused economic development and infrastructure efforts on supporting UAS industry growth and development in order to capture a significant share of this market.

(Source: State of Ohio news release)

FMI: www.daytonregion.com