Time to rachet up Cyber Command pitch
by EDITOR - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

News reports and comments from officials suggest Barksdale Air Force Base might secure the Cyber Command mission, but local government and civic leaders wisely are avoiding the complacency mode, working to both seal the deal and prepare to fully exploit the economic opportunity.

Case in point was the recent "Research Park 101" seminar put on by a representative from Huntsville, Ala., a former cotton patch that became home to rocket scientists and high-tech manufacturers.

The development questions are basic, says Bossier Parish Administrator Bill Altimus, but civic and government leaders have yet to find a simple model for not only constructing but marketing the local cyber innovation center. The center would require the latest in technology and security to accommodate military and civilian workers. Those working on Barksdale and at the innovation center near Bossier Parish Community Center, could number in the thousands.

The innovation center is a publicly financed park. Bossier City, Bossier Parish and the state are putting up a combined $100 million for construction and development. The Bossier City Council also has just put up $500,000 to hire a consultant to craft a business model.

Among the key questions are how to develop a marketing plan that attracts contractors to the innovation park but also provides taxpayers with a reasonable return on their investment. Can, for instance, local government share in a modest share of any royalties on technological innovations that find commercial success? At the least, such deals might provide dollars to underwrite maintenance and continued development of the center. At best, such revenues could directly fund public projects, ranging from economic development funds to public transportation to parks.