...It's been such a long-time part of the Mississippi Coast, shipbuilding is sometimes taken for granted. The French first started building them in the 1700s, and it's continued until this day. But the old industry is undergoing some major changes with the introduction of new shipbuilding materials and high-tech methods of production. It's both a heavy industry and one of the most technical.
...South Mississippi is at the center of the largest shipbuilding region in the nation, and it's home to the biggest shipbuilder of them all. It's where most of the nation's surface warships are built, as well as crucial equipment for deep-water exploration.
...While it's generally known that South Mississippi is a major player in the shipbuilding industry, what may be less well known is that the Gulf Coast over the past 25 years has slowly grabbed a larger piece of the nation's shipbuilding pie. While the number of major shipyards on the East Coast and the West Coast have decreased, the number on the Gulf Coast has remained relatively high. What's more, there's a growing synergy in this region, with both the aerospace and advanced materials sectors growing.
...Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast there are technology parks, business incubators and technology transfer offices and work force training programs, and perhaps just as important, there is plenty of room to grow just outside the urban corridor.
...With a high quality of life and low cost of doing business, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been a contender for some high-profile projects in recent years as companies discover the convergence of opportunities. And that interest promises to increase, thanks to the availability of major new incentives designed to help companies that want to invest in the future of Mississippi and the Gulf Coast region.
...South Mississippi offers a glimpse into the world of tomorrow.
