The U.S. Army will announce the selection of Austin as home to its new Futures Command, according to an Associated Press report.
The Futures Command will, for the first time, centralize the Army’s technology and innovation efforts. Heavy focus will be placed on development of emerging technologies – such as artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, autonomous vehicles and weaponry, and drones - for possible use in warfighting.
Dozens of cities nationwide competed for the new Futures Command.
Austin’s selection is a boon for that city. It reinforces the belief that that Austin is a tech leader and a desirable place to conduct business.
The Futures Command will eventually employ 500 military engineers and software analysts. The Command will also likely add thousands of related, private-sector jobs as well.
During its selection process, the Army focused on cities with leading tech companies and research universities. Cities considered for the Futures Command did not need existing Army facilities. The finalist cities were: Atlanta; Austin; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New York City; Philadelphia; Raleigh; San Diego; San Francisco, and; Seattle.
