Technology Convergence in the Carolinas Crossroad

Steve Townes, CEO & Founder Ranger Aerospace

Hey John..that car looks like an airplane!

Welcome to the Crossroad

2/3 of USA Population within a 1-day drive At the center of the Ral-Char-Lanta Mega-Region Superior workforce & quality of life factors Technologies and Industries Deliberately Clustering

Regional epicenter Connections of people and markets From Aerospace to Automotive Avionics, Propulsion, Materials Aggregation is accelerating here

Automotive Aerospace Avionics Materials

Mega-RegionsMobilityClustering Has Already Begun

Automotive Crossroad
Ranked #2 in auto manufacturing in 2011 by Business Facilities Rapidly growing cluster of 250 auto-related plants Clemson-ICAR leadership in automotive engineering Most efficient port in the Southeast in Charleston BMW, Michelin, Bosch, Lear, Many Others

Aerospace Crossroad
Where will this plane be built?

A rapidly growing cluster of 160 aerospace related companies Customized pre-employment training programs for aviation Technical school programs leading to FAA and NCATT Certification Boeing, Lockheed, BAE, Goodrich, Many Others

Electronics/Avionics Crossroad

Military cockpits spawn commercial cockpits Airborne controls spawn advanced automotive systems The GPS Grid is converging everything

Advanced Materials Crossroad

Many Stakeholders Already in the Carolinas Crossroad

ADEX

Industrial Priorities Spawn Good Decisions

Investment Education Incentives Development

NC

SC

What Needs to Happen?

Governors and state economic development agencies
Promote, foster, import, and invest in Automotive & Aerospace CLUSTERING in the Raleigh-Atlanta mega-regional corridor.

Emulate and coordinate with GA and FL

GA

FL

Going a Step Further: INDUSTRIAL PRIORITIES

Allen Gillespie, SCIC Chairman Bob Borden, SCIC CEO Curtis Loftis, SC Treasurer Richard Eckstrom, SC Comptroller Nikki Haley, SC Governor

-- State Pensions are underperforming

-- Place more State bets on Mobility

The Crossroads: Industrial Priorities

Automotive Aerospace Avionics/Electronics Advanced Materials

STRATEGY, INVESTMENT, TEAMWORK

Industry Academia Government

Automotive Aerospace Avionics Materials

Fast-Forward 50 Years