UWF students partner with MIT to evaluate Northwest Florida’s potential as UAS manufacturing hub

Five undergraduate students from UWF's Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business collaborated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's MBA program on a comprehensive feasibility study for SWARM Dynamics, an innovative startup focused on unmanned autonomous systems, or UAS. Mike Arnett, Bella Kendall, Alana Camp, Josh Simon and Joel Havercroft worked as a cohesive team with their MIT counterparts to evaluate Northwest Florida's potential as a manufacturing base for a future UAS ecosystem.

Dr. Kenneth O'Connor, visiting assistant professor of supply chain logistics in the UWF Department of Commerce, along with Professor Gerry Goldstein, instructor in the UWF Department of Business Administration, led the team over a span of six weeks as students continuously refined their research, organized findings and strengthened their recommendations with persistence and teamwork. Using a structured research process, students examined site selection, workforce availability, logistics connectivity, manufacturing infrastructure, incentive opportunities and broader regional capabilities. They studied not only what SWARM would need from a physical and operational standpoint, but also what kind of ecosystem would be required to help a company succeed in the long term.

"This collaboration represents exactly the kind of opportunity we want for our students at UWF: an experience that is hands-on, intellectually challenging and connected to real-world innovation," Dr. O'Connor said. "It not only reinforces the strength of our programs and our students but also demonstrates that UWF can play an important role in conversations about advanced industry, workforce development and the future of regional economic growth."

Partnering with MIT's MBA students created a powerful cross-institutional learning opportunity that bridged undergraduate education with graduate-level insights. The interdisciplinary project allowed the integration of UWF's strong business education with MIT's renowned entrepreneurial and engineering ecosystem. This project highlights the growing importance of UAS manufacturing in the U.S. and the role of academic partnerships in supporting emerging startups like SWARM Dynamics.

"Our undergraduate students have clearly demonstrated the exceptional quality of the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business while working with MIT students," said Goldstein. "We are very proud of the way our students represented our incredible University throughout the project."

This experience also tied directly into the students' academic pursuits by applying academic concepts to a live project with real stakes. Instead of simply reading about site selection, manufacturing systems and logistics planning in a textbook, students had the opportunity to work through these challenges in a hands-on environment. It gave them valuable exposure to the kind of cross-functional problem-solving that defines today's business world, especially in industries involving advanced manufacturing, defense and emerging technologies. Experiences like this help students see how classroom learning translates directly into professional impact.

"Gaining hands-on experience surrounding a real-world project is incredibly valuable in our development as students," said Mike Arnett, a senior majoring in supply chain logistics management. "We are excited to work with other prestigious universities like MIT and for the opportunities to come."

To learn more about UWF's Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business, visit uwf.edu/lbjcob.