SMHEC ‘3rd Building’ Critical to Region’s Success
Why the “3rd Building” at SMHEC is Critical to Our Region’s Future Success
by Ken Farquhar, President, Southern Maryland Navy Alliance
In 2013, the University System of Maryland (USM), the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC) and the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance signed an agreement committing to the construction of a research facility here in St. Mary’s County on the campus of the SMHEC. This project needs continued funding support from the Maryland General Assembly to become a reality.
The 77,000 sq. ft. “3rd building” will enhance academic opportunities focused on unmanned systems, provide access to research facilities “outside of the gate” that otherwise can only be found on base and support professional development opportunities for our community now and into the future. Investment in a research facility accessible to private industry and academia is critical to the economic diversification and technical growth of Southern Maryland.
Last August, the University of Maryland (UMD) A. James Clark School of Engineering cut the ribbon on an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site based at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. http://uas-test.umd.edu/. With support from the USM, the site brings together leaders in academia, industry, and government to accelerate UAS research and development. The UMD UAS Test Site is part of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, in consort with Virginia and New Jersey, under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS Test Site program, and will help the FAA integrate UAS into the national airspace. The St. Mary’s County Airport is located adjacent to SMHEC where the new UMD research facility is to be built.
A UMD research facility at the SMHEC, coupled with the UAS Test Site at the airport, creates the State’s first and only campus for RD&TE for unmanned systems making St. Mary’s County a leader in the unmanned and autonomous systems’ industry nationwide. This is our moment, our opportunity to demonstrate how commercializing defense technologies can spur new business and job growth in Maryland. Here are several important reasons why the Maryland General Assembly should continue to provide funding support for the construction of a UMD research facility here in St. Mary’s County:
Evolving national security requirements impose high demands on the Southern Maryland (SoMd) business community
- Accelerates development of SoMd as a comprehensive research park and technical center of excellence necessary to capture NAVAIR sources of revenue
- Enhances research infrastructure and advanced education to remain responsive, competitive and relevant
- Academia offers existing workforce opportunity to refresh for both defense and commercial applications
- Economic diversity needed to decrease dependency on federal revenue streams
Sequestration highlighted the need for a strong commercial business base as a buffer for fluctuations in federal dollars
- Advantageous to attract customers with alternative sources of revenue
- Provides environment that attracts alternative sources of revenue and commercial businesses
- Attracts people with technical skills by growing accessible infrastructure for research and academia – All required to establish the region as a Technology Leader into the future
Provides accessible research facility beyond Pax River’s “Inside the Fence line” labs
- A resource for developing cutting edge technologies with defense and commercial applications
- Positions the region to capitalize on the exploding civil/commercial Unmanned Systems market
Expansion capitalizes on and supports our greatest asset – People
- Historically, the region has been under-served by higher education institutions, reflected in the percentage of advanced degrees in the SoMd region
- Provides additional and unprecedented higher education opportunities
University System of Maryland (USM) Autonomous Research Initiative (aka 3rd building)
- Answers an already approved SMHEC expansion requirement
- Puts in place a USM investment in SoMd’s future economic growth
- Brings the weight of University of Maryland’s research presence and reputation
- Addresses NAWCAD’s desire for technology transfer and shared research between industry, government and academia in autonomous systems across all domains (air, ground, space, surface, subsurface)
