Kinney proposes exploring federal partnerships to make Wyoming a center for American drone research, testing and manufacturing

WYOMING — Lisa Kinney today called for exploring a Wyoming economic-development and national-security initiative aimed at making the state a center for American unmanned-aircraft research, testing and manufacturing.

“Instead of asking only what industries want to come to Wyoming, we should ask what industries Wyoming can build,” Kinney said.

Modern conflicts have demonstrated the growing importance of relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft systems and the challenges created when costly defense systems must be used to counter them.

Kinney said the United States should apply those lessons by strengthening domestic research, manufacturing and supply chains for unmanned aircraft technologies.

Wyoming should compete to be part of it.

Kinney proposes examining federal partnerships that could bring together Wyoming businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges to develop a domestic drone-manufacturing ecosystem.

Wyoming’s wide-open spaces could offer opportunities for appropriate research and testing, while a growing unmanned-aircraft industry could support jobs in engineering, electronics, software, advanced manufacturing, fabrication, maintenance and supply-chain operations.

“I want Wyoming students to be able to graduate, find a good-paying technology or manufacturing job here and raise their families here,” Kinney said.

Kinney said Wyoming should pursue industries that complement the state’s existing strengths while creating opportunities beyond its traditional economic sectors.

That means connecting education, research, entrepreneurship and manufacturing.

“We have talented young people. We have wide-open spaces. We have a strong tradition of building, fixing and solving problems,” Kinney said. “Those are Wyoming advantages.”

A QUESTION OF NATIONAL PRIORITIES

Kinney said the proposal is also part of a broader conversation Congress should have about federal spending and national priorities.

The federal government faces major decisions about how taxpayer dollars should be invested. Traditional defense systems can cost billions of dollars, while rapidly evolving technologies are changing the economics of national defense.

“This isn’t a choice between national defense and Wyoming,” Kinney said. “The question is how America gets the greatest long-term return from the dollars taxpayers entrust to us.”

Kinney said federal investment in domestic unmanned-aircraft research and manufacturing could advance several national objectives at the same time: strengthening national security, rebuilding American manufacturing capacity, expanding domestic supply chains and creating skilled jobs.

“America should build more of the technology America needs,” Kinney said. “There is no reason Wyoming cannot help build it.”

“Wyoming can help feed America. Wyoming can help defend America. And Wyoming can build things America needs.”

Wyoming innovation. Wyoming manufacturing. Wyoming jobs.