A July grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration totaling $51 million is giving The Tulsa Hub for Equitable and Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) cash for a push into making Tulsa more of a tech town.
Boosters gathered at Atlas School Tuesday night to discuss the grant and Tulsa’s tech transformation, specifically in the autonomous technology sector.
Autonomous systems power self-driving cars and drones. Discussion participants tried to square cutting-edge technology with the titular ‘equitable’ and ‘trustworthy’ values of the collective. Tulsa Innovation Labs Director of Public Affairs Justin Kits said this will happen through investment in organizations like Black Tech Street.
“We are working specifically with Black Tech Street to invest over $10 million into an advanced technology hub in historic Greenwood.”
Addressing reports of self-driving vehicles that’ve crashed and drones with incorrect aim, Kits said Oklahoma State University and the cybersecurity program at the University of Tulsa will lead in safety initiatives for autonomous systems.
“We’re bringing experts and researchers from both universities together to say, ‘Okay, if a drone is bringing me my lunch or my toothpaste, how do we make sure that nefarious actors aren’t able to hack into that and aren’t able to crash that into my backyard?’”
Mayor G.T. Bynum mentioned last year that he wants Tulsa to become the “drone capital of the world.” Windshape, a Swiss drone company, made Tulsa’s Skyway 36 their U.S. headquarters in a deal with the Osage Nation last year.
Kits mentioned at the discussion that getting the grant was “the easy part.” Now, THETA must focus on divvying up that cash into six different projects listed below.
- Increasing coordination on commercialization strategies among universities and the startups they support.
- Building a state-of-the-art testing and simulation environment, with a focus on cyber and data management, for companies, researchers and regulatory entities to address barriers to commercial adoption.
- Developing programs to identify opportunities for manufacturers in supply chains and build out a manufacturing demonstration center where small companies can scale their capabilities.
- Creating an Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence to expand opportunities and increase exposure to technology for underserved communities.
- Expanding workforce programs to align training with industry needs, provide upskilling, and offer on-the-job training opportunities.
- Establishing governance structures to execute projects, pursue additional funding and drive the Hub’s strategy.
The full panel discussion is available on the Atlas School YouTube page.
