His budget provides $15 million for construction of the innovative DreamPort Cybersecurity Collaborative facility at University of South Carolina Aiken. The facility is expected to increase the state's cyber response capabilities through partnerships in an attempt to keep pace with increasing cyber threats and technology initiatives, according to a university release.
"I am thrilled to hear the governor has recommended $15 million for the National Guard's DreamPort Collaborative, which will be located on the campus of USC Aiken," Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon, said in the release. "The City of Aiken is glad to be able to assist the National Guard as it continues to protect our security in the cyber domain. The cyber network in this region is ever increasing, and we are glad to know that Aiken will be at the heart of it all."
In the facility, classified and unclassified environments will allow experts to solve some pressing challenges in the cyber realm, as well as utilize the S.C. National Guard's cyber security expertise to benefit the state. USC Aiken Chancellor Sandra Jordan said the university is honored to partner with the national guard.
"We are grateful for the support of Aiken and Aiken County's leadership and our local legislative delegation serving in the statehouse who are aware of the state's cyber needs and the threats that continue to emerge on a daily basis, and thus, have supported this unique initiative and worked to ensure it was part of the governor's budget," Jordan said in the release.
According to the release, the facility would be located close to the Savannah River National Laboratory's Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative on the USC Aiken campus and will allow cyber experts in the private, government and academic sectors to work with Fort Gordon's cyber operations and SRNL's cyber researchers.
According to the South Carolina National Guard, the design environmental and real estate considerations are expected to start in fall 2020 into the 2021 fiscal year. Construction is expected to begin fall 2022 and continue into the 2023 fiscal year.
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