The Monterey Bay DART Initiative 501 c 3 corporation was established in January 2019 as a public-private non-profit organization to establish and facilitate a world-class drone, automation/autonomy, robotics technology development, testing, and manufacturing cluster in the Monterey Bay Region by supporting good fit, climate-smart, DART businesses for jobs growth and community vitality.
DART works towards this mission with four program focus areas:
- Innovative workforce development programs
- Critical infrastructure & facilities access
- Innovation, entrepreneurship & business development
- Education & policy advocacy
DART’s Vision is to connect and coordinate industry, government, academic, and DART practitioners to pursue opportunities for regional advancement, innovation, and economic development.
DART performs five main functions in each above focus area:
Connect. Convene stakeholders and strengthen the DART community to coordinate action, advance projects, and establish productive cross-sector partnerships;
Manage. Manage new workforce and infrastructure project development plans and programs;
Fund. Identify, pursue, and secure public and private funding to support research and development, infrastructure improvement, and venture creation/growth;
Educate. Host industry and educational forums. Contribute to regional workforce solutions, curriculum development and education; and
Advocate. Advocate for safe and appropriate market, facilities and airspace access.