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Draft SEDS sector studies seek local feedback on cyber, unmanned systems and irregular warfare
Summary
Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute has delivered draft baseline studies on cyber security, unmanned/autonomous systems and irregular warfare for St. Mary’s County’s Strategic Economic Development Strategy, and county staff sought commissioner feedback Oct. 28, 2015.
Robin introduced draft comparative analyses produced by Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute on three defense-related sectors — irregular warfare, information assurance (cyber security) and unmanned/autonomous systems — and asked the Economic Development Commission for critical feedback.
Why it matters: The drafts are baseline studies intended to quantify local employment and firm concentration in sectors that shape county economic strategy. Commission members said the drafts should be vetted with industry insiders to correct potential overcounts and to surface strategic next steps, such as supply‑chain analysis and targeted marketing to firms whose presence would deepen a local cluster.
What commissioners said: Tom and other members said the drafts provide sensible baseline data but asked what the county would do next with that information. Robin and Chris said the next step is competitive-analysis work and recommendations that identify local strengths, weaknesses and marketable advantages. Commissioners flagged a specific data issue: the unmanned-systems draft lists about 290 establishments in St. Mary's County, a figure several members said likely overstates the active number because it relies on NAICS codes, which are self-reported and can reflect anticipated business lines rather than core activity.
Requests and timeline: Commissioners asked the researchers to provide the raw company list behind the NAICS aggregations so staff and informed reviewers (for example, Navy Alliance contacts and other local industry experts) can validate and correct the baseline. Robin asked for feedback from selected reviewers by the next EDC meeting (Nov. 18) so consultants can proceed to the competitive-advantage phase of the SEDS work before the end of the calendar year.
Related events: Staff also announced a Southern Maryland Innovation and Technology (SMIT) meetup to present OEA-funded commercialization tasks and a November 19 export-training session for local companies. Commission members were encouraged to attend and to route the draft studies to industry reviewers who can provide specific company-level corrections.
