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Director’s Message The “perfect storm” isn’t a concept favored by aviation or maritime professionals, two professions we hold close in South Jersey. Yet as metaphor useful content, it serves well for what’s happening here today. Over the past five years, as Cape May County was building a nationally recognized UAS Program, its neighbor to the north, Atlantic County, was rediscovering and establishing fabulous general aviation resources. Not the least of these: the Atlantic City International Airport (ACY). Atlantic County also began developing an MRO facility, and both Atlantic and Cape May Counties broke ground on major workplaces for technology companies. Full message below... In our aviation-related events, we’re privileged to have the participation of important entities like our neighbor the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, the United States Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security, and many more. We have strong support from state and federal Economic Development Authorities and legislative and congressional delegations. Perhaps most important, we are being discovered by innovators. It’s a thrill to serve at a time like this, with the stars aligning. We’ll be exploring things like enhanced data analysis, intelligent design, and strategically balanced airport infrastructure, even as we partner with companies from around the country who use South Jersey airspace for R&D. It’s all about innovation, connectivity, collaboration and the latest in the aviation industry. The perfect storm …. an alignment of stars …. Watch for us. Even better, join us! Carole Mattessich, Director Smart Airport and Aviation Partnership

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Contact Us Reach out and say hello, we'll be happy to connect! First Name Last Name Email Phone Role / Title Subject What can we help with? * Required Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter flightPlan Accelerator Small Research Grants UAS for Public Safety NJ Aviation Roadshow Innovation Forums Not sure / something else Leave us a message... Submit Thanks for submitting! We'll be in touch soon.

Opportunities for Small Businesses On-Site Presence Interaction with peers and mentors Read More flightPlan Accelerator aviation business accelerator Read More Tech Demonstrations demonstrate your technology Read More Innovation Forums meet with like-minded founders Read More

About Our Mission The purpose of the partnership is to transform Southern New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem by incubating, accelerating, and attracting new businesses into a high-tech cluster. Companies in the cluster will leverage “smart” infrastructure and Internet-of-Things technologies for airport and aviation applications in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airports in both Atlantic County and Cape May County. Core Values Public <> Private Partnership Objectivity & Transparency Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

SMART AIRPORT AND AVIATION PARTNERSHIP Building an aviation ecosystem in Southern New Jersey, one fabulous innovation at a time. Contact Upcoming Schedule NEW: NJ Aviation Business Center Business Acceleration Economic Development Education, Training, & Outreach NJ Aviation Business Center About The Smart Airport and Aviation Partnership (SAAP) centered in Southern New Jersey, was established through a Regional Innovation Strategies Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA). Learn More Activities flightPlan Accelerator Work with aviation professionals, industry teammates, and funders to reach your venture's full potential. Founder Coaching & Mentorship Hone your skills & build a winning business strategy with aviation executives. Joint Emergency Management Exercises SAAP supports annual test flights to forward the use of UAS by First Responders following natural disasters. Interact with Aviation Leaders Meet with leaders from the nationally renowned FAA William J.Hughes Technical Center. Core Team & Partners FAQ FAQs How do I become a member? Please contact us at: innoforums@nianet.org How do I apply to flightPlan? Apply online at https://www.nationalinstituteofaerospace.org/nianet/ccoeiwo7kc/index.html through December 15th. What are the program’s structural aspects? Eight companies are invited into the cohort. Core program runs January - April. Virtual 90-minute Group Sessions are held weekly during the core program. Each typically includes a subject matter expert addressing the day’s topic, followed by Q and A. Each cohort company also attends a private weekly Session mentored by our Accelerator Leadership Team. Any other core activities? Along with providing Group Sessions and individual monitoring, we help each company engage in a non-trivial special project of its choice. Past examples: Live tech demo at the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park; Port security flight exercise at major NJ port. What does the successful applicant look like? We like companies that are looking to grow their markets and advance commercialization of their aviation-related technologies. In assessing candidates, we’ll consider: company mission(s); experience of founding team/advisors; scalability and sustainability; potential for early traction/revenue; and market conditions/timing. But we also seek companies in alignment with flightPlan’s missions, spirit and ethos. We want companies committed to best practices in aviation, looking to establish relationships with subject matter experts and collaborate with like-minded innovators throughout their lifespans. What differentiates flightPlan from other Accelerators? It’s devoted to aviation-related companies. We’re grateful for active participation by the FAA and nationally recognized SMEs in our Group Sessions and mentorship efforts. We’re funded by grants and don’t take equity or fees. Your “cost” is the time your team invests in participating. After graduation, you have continuing access to individual mentorship and support, as well as educational and networking events within the Southern New Jersey Aviation Hub. Do you accept companies from outside the U.S.? How about direct competitors? Several of our successful cohort companies have roots outside the U.S. However, your company must be eligible to do business within the U.S. to apply. We don’t invite direct competitors into the same cohort, though we may accept competitors across cohorts. We honor all requests to keep information confidential. Still have questions? Contact us at: Innoforums@nianet.org

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About the New Jersey Aviation Business Center Located in Atlantic City, the NJ Aviation Business Center is dedicated to helping area residents identify and leverage Aviation opportunities. The USEDA funded the effort to plan this Center in order to help ensure that underserved populations have a full opportunity to fully participate in the economic benefits of the growth of aviation in the Southern New Jersey region. Let us help you take your aviation ideas to the next level. Subscribe for FREE Updates Jump to Resources Resources available to you! 1 Education & Training Programs NJ has over 200 technical schools, community colleges, universities, and flight schools that offer aviation education or training programs. We've put them together in one place to make your search easy! More Info 2 Jobs & Careers Looking to put your skills to work? NJ has aviation-related jobs for pilots, mechanics, engineers, software developers, and more. More Info 3 Small Business Owners Do you have an Aviation related business, technology concept, or innovative idea? We have free resources, events, and mentorship available to help you level up. More Info Don't see what you're looking for? Please reach out - we'll be happy to help.

Innovation Forums SAAP is re-starting it's “Innovation Forums” open to members of the UAS and Aviation community. Participants are asked to provide self-introductions and to describe the challenges and triumphs of the UAS efforts on which they currently are working. This backgrounding provides excellent opportunities later in the day when we serve lunch and provide networking time, as innovators seek one another out to discuss the work that each described earlier. In addition, at some point during the session, we have a presentation by a noted UAS innovator, which further sparks lively discussion (and, sometimes, even debate). Learn More Upcoming Events No events at the moment More on Innovation Forums Our community has grown, starting with a group of 9 innovators nearly 10 years ago, and now includes hundreds of UAS-related innovators from throughout New Jersey and surrounding states. Attendees include members of private industry, government, and academia. Many travel hours to attend a session that will permit them to meet colleagues and kindred souls. We also typically are very fortunate to have representatives from our neighbor, the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, join as guests. We’ve watched happily as innovators assist one another in developing technological workarounds, and have even watched companies merge after their principals discovered critical synergies through the Forums. There is no charge for the Forums; they are funded in part by a grant from the USEDA. Attendance is limited to 35 guests per session in order to preserve the smaller-scale, high-quality closeness that is one of the hallmarks of the Program and our SAAP community.

Emergency Management Exercises Each year, SAAP and our Partners collaborate with Public Safety and Emergency Management professionals from across the Northeast to facilitate joint exercises simulating various scenarios e.g. natural disasters, extreme weather events, etc. These events and research activities are intended to help advance the use of UAS in Public Safety. Learn More Download AATI's '21 EMX Report

About the New Jersey Aviation Business Center Opportunities for Small Businesses Back to Programs Opportunities for Small Businesses On-Site Presence Interaction with peers and mentors Read More Innovation Forums meet with like-minded founders Read More Technology Demonstrations showcase your tech to stakeholders Read More flightPlan Accelerator aviation business accelerator Read More NJ SBDC Small Business Development Center Read More