Tacoma: Let's be the robot producer of destiny

We have a world-class port, an abundance of industrial land, empty business structures, a world-class zoo, more potential for Click, a growing population of millennials, vocational schools, lots of water and electricity, several fine universities, world-class museums, under-utilized housing stock, close proximity to Seattle and Sea-Tac airport, voter approved light rail and an all-around enviable living environment.

All these things make a strong case for a much more challenging vision than “Tacoma - America’s Most Wired City.”

Think of the 1950s in Silicon Valley. We need to control our future before robotics take away local jobs; instead, we should create jobs and become the world’s first and foremost manufacturing center of such robots, built to specification and delivered by order to manufacturers and businesses anywhere.

To do this, much as in the IB program at Foss High School, there is a need to learn and grow our community together for the purpose of attracting and training talent. Surely investors such as Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates or Elon Musk will be needed.

Yet it all seems possible.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Tacoma: Let's be the robot producer of destiny."