GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — Integer Technologies cut the ribbon on its new office at the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, marking an expansion of the defense industry on the Mississippi Coast.
Integer Technologies creates software for the military, specializing in seabed warfare with unmanned and autonomous vessels.
Officials said Integer’s addition to the coast will help the state leverage its access to the Gulf, helping the blue economy.
“So the blue economy is critical to the future growth of the state,” said Josh Knight, co-founder and COO. “There’s a lot going on in the world with advancements in maritime robotics that have both military and commercial applications where coastal Mississippi is positioned to be a leader.”
Economic and defense opportunities
Sen. Roger Wicker, the namesake of the building the office is in, said Integer is an opportunity for economic growth and a chance to build stronger defense forces.
“It’s also an opportunity to make America so strong that we deter any sort of military action,” Wicker said. “I mean, the idea of being too hard to fight means that we can have peace.”
Partnership with USM
Part of Integer’s venture to the coast is a partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi. It gives Integer not only a supply line of graduates, but also other major resources.
“By partnering with USM, you also get access to amazing professors and research staff who are really experts in their field,” Knight said. “USM is a national leader in ocean sciences and oceanography. And then you also get access to really unique facilities, like the Roger Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise.”
Dr. Joe Paul, USM president, said the partnership positions the region for growth.
“And so, with the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi Sound, with the scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi, and all the ocean sciences, there is no reason that we can’t be the catalyst for job growth and improving the quality of life for the six coastal counties in the entire state of Mississippi,” Paul said.
Integer officials said the goal of the company’s work is to replace normally dangerous jobs held by humans, and offload them to robots, taking the men out of the minefield.
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