Development fund sought to aid weather ventures
By Randall Turk
Transcript Business Editor
When they look to the future, they think big.
Government agencies, university research groups and private companies within the "weather community" being consolidating on OU's south research campus have some optimistic plans.
The Norman Chamber of Commerce Weather Committee, comprised of weather community leaders, already has floated a proposal for a $50 million national weather museum to help establish Oklahoma as the "weather capital of the world." The committee has suggested that funds for the museum could come from federal grants, city and state support and private donations.
Tuesday, the Weather Committee issued another proposal, a "weather enterprise development fund" to draw small commercial weather companies to the "National Weather Center" going up on OU's South Research Campus. The fund would provide $500 million a year for something like a business incubator to grow the smaller weather enterprises, which would benefit from research collaboration and assistance in marketing their products and services.
The Weather Committee proposal notes the weather industry in Norman already consists of a dozen state and federal agencies and research organizations employing about 800 and spending more than $60 million a year. A report issued by Governor Henry's EDGE economic development team states the weather services industry could have an state economic impact of $10 billion over the next decade.
The Weather Committee maintains that Oklahoma, "with the largest academic program in the nation, is uniquely positioned to become the national leader in the commercial weather enterprise and academic-government-corporate R&D partnerships."
Supporting the state's weather industry could create 1,000 new weather-related jobs paying twice the state's average income, the governor's team has estimated.
Last year, WeatherNews, the world's largest publicly traded commercial weather company, relocated its U.S. headquarters to a new building on OU's research campus. Several weather-related startup companies have emerged in recent years, some using technology developed at OU. The Weather Committee proposes boosting such companies with technical and administrative support to help them develop and sell their specialized weather products nationwide.
Specifically, the weather enterprise funds would provide developing companies:
Access to streaming data, especially from NEXRAD Doppler radars, for use in preparing customized weather and flood forecasts for particular companies that rely on weather information; Access to high speed data networking and shared weather monitoring facilities; Space in buildings at the Weather Center so companies could benefit from academic and federal weather programs; Assistance with marketing, including marketing materials, trade shows and participation in national weather-related organizations; Partnerships, particularly for companies relocating to Oklahoma, and Matching funds for federal research and development grants.
If approved by the Norman chamber's Executive Committee and Board of Directors, the proposal will be sent to State Chancellor for Education Paul Risser and Secretary of Commerce Kathy Taylor.
If the Oklahoma Legislature finds the proposal, the weather enterprise fund would be administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.