Mississippi and the U.S. Air Force are marking a new era in cybersecurity research, training and collaboration as leaders celebrate plans for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center.
The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. On January 10, leaders from MSU, the U.S. Air Force and the City of Biloxi, along with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, signed a joint proclamation for the state-of-the-art facility and collaborations that will support community and military needs.
“The Cyber Center will strengthen Keesler’s mission to train cyber warriors, and it will serve as a hub for academic achievement and economic development for cyber, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology companies and agencies,” said Reeves. “In short, the future is here in Mississippi.”
The Mississippi Cyber Initiative was launched in 2021 as a continuation of collaborations between MSU and Keesler to support the 81st Training Wing’s cyber training mission. Since then, the initiative has been working to position Mississippi as a leader in cybersecurity, grow collaborations across government, defense and industry, tackle critical cyber challenges, and enhance economic development on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“Keesler Air Force Base is the epicenter of all Air Force cyber operations training,” said Col. Billy Pope, commander of the 81st Training Wing. “We can mark today as the day that we guarantee our relevance and our excellence in this space for generations to come.”
The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will be built through an enhanced use lease agreement between the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the MSU Research and Technology Corp. Designed by Dale Partners Architects, the state-of-the-art facility includes space for MCI’s headquarters, Air Force training, an event space, and secure office space available to private industry partners.
