Topic #1: Middle Georgia as a ‘Software Center of Excellence’ – How do we do this?

The ultimate objective of the Middle Georgia Innovation Project is to build innovation and develop a road map for Middle Georgia to become a ‘Software Center of Excellence’.

This objective is based on two major factors:

  • Robins Air Force Base (RAFB), through its missions, is a major demand driver of innovative software and data engineering capacity in the region. It is a key anchor and employer within the region. Supporting the needs of the base are critical to the long-term sustainability of Middle Georgia.
  • There is a stated objective in the region to build economic diversification, that leverages the concentration of assets at the base. The logical step is to build an ‘off-base’ ecosystem of businesses with strength in data sciences and software engineering that are able to serve future needs and drive innovation.

These objectives will require positioning the Middle Georgia region to become a region with a strong innovation culture and supporting ecosystem. Innovation is the creation, development and implementation of a new product, process or service, with the aim of improving, efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage. Innovation creates new value and captures value in a new way.

What we know so far:

  • Throughout the previous Middle Georgia Charette and Regional Planning initiative (2018) and Task 1 and Task 2 of this project, it has been noted that innovation is occurring, but it is occurring in silos.
  • It has consistently been highlighted that it is critical to build partnerships across the Middle Georgia region across industry, education, government and RAFB. While partnership may be more natural between education and government as they are not competitors, there is competition between industries and between educational institutions. There is also competition for talent for industries outside of the base.
  • Partnerships between industry, education, government and RAFB could provide the ‘go to’ group to trigger the ‘Software Center of Excellence’. However, this partnership building must be planned and intentional.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Tell us what you think are the critical and practical steps in developing the region to become a ‘Software Center of Excellence’? What would the ‘Software Center of Excellence’ look like to you in both conceptual and practical terms?

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Competition events, socialized across the ecosystem, focused on software, fishing for interest and sparks of talent.

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MORE INFORMATION

For more information about The Middle Georgia Innovation Project, please contact:

Angie Gheesling, Executive Director
Development Authority of Houston County
200 Carl Vinson Parkway
Warner Robins, GA 31088
Phone: (478) 923-5470
gheesling@houstoncountyga.net