Robots Are Coming…and Louisiana Is Ready. By Josh Fleig Chief Innovation Officer Louisiana Innovation/Louisiana Economic Development On February 6, 2025, Louisiana did something it has never done before. For the first time at the state level, we made it clear: building a strong, technology-enabled economy is essential to Louisiana’s future. And that future is arriving faster than many realize. Across the country, autonomous systems are reshaping how industries operate. Self-driving trucks, unmanned maritime vessels, and intelligent automation are no longer abstract ideas. They’re here, already changing how goods move, how we respond to emergencies, and how we strengthen national security. Louisiana is not watching this transformation from the sidelines. Companies like Saronic and Metal Shark are proving we can stand at the center of it. Saronic is investing $300 million to expand its Louisiana shipyard and was awarded a $392 million Navy contract for its Corsair autonomous vessel. Metal Shark, recently acquired by Magnet Defense, continues expanding advanced shipbuilding capabilities, including unmanned platforms used by the U.S. Navy and other partners. This work is happening right now in our shipyards, employing Louisiana workers and pushing the boundaries of maritime innovation. On our highways, companies like Aurora and Kodiak Robotics are testing autonomous freight technology along Louisiana’s logistics corridors, positioning the state as a proving ground for the future of transportation. In heavy industry, Louisiana is launching a first-of-its-kind pilot with SSE Steel Fabrication and Persona AI to support humanoid robotics in a live steel yard environment. This activity is not isolated. It’s momentum. But moments of technological change always raise hard questions. What happens to the jobs? What happens to the people who have powered our legacy industries for generations? The answer is not that the work disappears, it evolves. Louisiana has always adapted. When technology redefines what’s possible, our