ississippi's high-tech future has arrived. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics recently released its list of the top 10 emerging aerospace technologies, and remote sensing technologies, or geospatial technologies, was on the list. Mississippi has one of the largest geospatial industry clusters in the country, and it is arguably the most organized, developed and supported.
      The state, in partnership with NASA, started the geospatial technology cluster at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Hancock County in 1997. With this initial effort and a solid technology infrastructure in place, Mississippi has continued to build on these successes by developing public-private sector initiatives to foster innovation and build capacity. Geospatial technology is one of Mississippi's fastest growing high-technology sectors, with a variety of industries (including the defense/homeland security, engineering, energy and utilities, finance, education, timber and telecommunications sectors) as well as governmental agencies increasingly relying on this technology.
      "Mississippi recognizes the value of geospatial technology with its applications ranging from water management to global defense," said Gray Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. "We are supporting this sector by continuing to develop the state's research capabilities and further strengthening our skilled and plentiful labor force to help prepare workers for jobs in this field."
      During the 2007-2008 year, employment continued to grow in Mississippi's geospatial technology industry, and numerous students from around the state were involved in geospatial education programs in preparation for potential careers in the rapidly-growing field. In fact, organizations such as the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions and the Geospatial Council of the Institutions of Higher Learning are working to build the sector by combining young talent with resources and expertise at the state's most advanced university research centers. One joint initiative of the two organizations was the establishment of a geospatial high school adoption program with high schools around Mississippi. Students partner with universities and colleges to use geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to develop projects that address specific community needs: school bus routing, fire hydrant mapping, forestry management, interactive tourism features for the Web and others. Another joint initiative between these two entities provides industry-leading remote sensing and GIS software to all Mississippi universities, colleges and community/junior colleges. Mississippi was the first state in the nation to have such a program that serves the entire statewide public higher education community.
      Geospatial technology has a wealth of other practical applications. Mississippi's abundant natural resources are among its greatest assets. From natural gas to navigable waterways, the state's available resources are often a key factor in companies' decisions to locate in Mississippi. Geospatial technology helps communities and businesses identify, map and plan the best strategies for utilizing these natural resources.
      The same technology is also essential when companies need to study potential site locations, analyze customer behavior and needs, identify market patterns or manage distribution and transportation of raw materials and finished products. Since 1998, more than $350 million has been invested in Mississippi's geospatial industry. That includes $328 million of corporate investment in facilities, operating expenses, research and development (R&D) and payroll. Additionally, the State and NASA invested approximately $26.7 million in the industry in this period, and the state has since seen a 12 percent return rate on that investment.
      NVision Solutions, a geospatial software and consulting company located at the Stennis Space Center, provides GIS and remote sensing services as well as database development and geospatial integration services for clients like FEMA, Boeing, Tyson Foods and NASA. The company is also working with companies in Canada, France, Switzerland and Japan and is actively courting new international relationships.
      Joel Lawhead, chief information officer for NVision, noted, "People, geography and resources are the reasons that Mississippi's geospatial industry is leading the way in the development and deployment of world-class products and services."
      Mississippi ranks first among Southeastern states and fifth in the nation for supercomputing power. In fact, Stennis Space Center operates one of the world's most capable supercomputing centers, which supports the U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense agencies. Companies like NVision have been attracted to the resources at the facility and the benefits of locating in a geospatial cluster. Businesses in the sector can also benefit from the specialized geospatial programs offered at a number of Mississippi universities.
      At Delta State University, the Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information Technologies is working with the tourism industry to develop innovative marketing strategies for attractions throughout the Delta region. The Trent Lott Geospatial & Visualization Research Center at Jackson State University has worked with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to develop a shellfish management tool.
      Mississippi also has incentives specifically geared toward technology-driven companies. The Research and Development Skills Tax Credit offers tax breaks to companies that create high-tech jobs that require R&D skills and workers with degrees in scientific or technical fields. The Skills Training Income Tax Credit offers tax breaks to certain types of companies, including R&D, telecommunications, data and information processing, computer software development and other technology intensive firms, that provide training to their workers.
      Companies in sectors ranging from aerospace and defense to timber and distribution are taking notice of Mississippi's geospatial technology cluster. "A number of companies in Mississippi are utilizing this technology and an increasing number of businesses are partnering with the state's research institutions to develop new technologies," said Swoope. "We anticipate significant growth in this sector over the next several years."