Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have the potential to revolutionize business and operations on land and at sea. They’re having a major impact on everything from homeland security, maritime search and rescue, and precision agriculture to environmental monitoring, which has inspired Insitu to open a new facility focused on the commercial UAS industry at Mississippi State University (MSU) in Starkville, MS.
“We are investing time, talent and resources in Mississippi to develop industry-leading technology that can safely operate in the National Airspace System,” said Insitu President and CEO Ryan M. Hartman. “We believe there are many opportunities in Mississippi, and we look forward to collaborating with MSU in our efforts to positively impact the growing commercial UAS industry.”
MSU leads the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 22-member Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) coalition, and recently became an FAA Center of Excellence. Insitu’s new facility will support engineering, software development and customer-support services, and will tap into MSU’s talent pool for its internship program. In addition, Insitu will provide access to its training program, which is based on rigorous FAA and military testing standards, and participate in curriculum development, steering committees, and academic mentorship, providing guidance for capstone design problems, coaching and evaluation. The 23-person office is located at the Ralph E. Powe Center for Innovative Technology within MSU’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.
“Insitu is the latest example of an innovative aerospace company choosing the state of Mississippi to grow its business,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw. “Mississippi State has a long and successful history of working with these industry leaders in manned and unmanned flight, and we are looking forward to contributing to Insitu’s success.”
“The new Center of Excellence for UAS at MSU creates new careers for Mississippians by partnering with leading technology companies on UAS research initiatives,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough. “We salute the Insitu team for bringing new opportunities to the state and people of Starkville and thank our partners at MSU who were instrumental in making this partnership a reality.”
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