NIWC Atlantic brings $3.2 billion to SC, study shows economic impact of command

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A recent study published by the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic shows the economic impact of the command’s work here in South Carolina, and throughout the country.

The study shows that the command has an economic impact of $9.3 billion in the U.S. and $3.2 billion in South Carolina.

Being the first study since 2019, the impact reflects the dollar value of all final goods and services, directly or indirectly attributed to the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.

The economic impact corresponds to over 45,000 jobs and nearly $3.9 billion in labor income for the nation.

Capt. Nicole Nigro, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic Commanding Officer, says the numbers equate to jobs and engagement within the community.

“First of all, the pride, the investment that the nation has made in the Charleston area, to be able to really support national defense, and how we’re moving forward with information warfare in this area,” Nigro says.

The study also shows that NIWC Atlantic employs approximately 76.5% of all electronics engineers in Charleston and 40.5% of all electronics engineers in South Carolina.

“We hope that we’re going to continue to grow, and be that cyber capital within the Lowcountry, really to be able to bring in both engineering as well as that cyber expertise and continue to grow and flourish,” Nigro added.

Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic is an information warfare-focused Navy command and laboratory located in Charleston. The mission is to solve the American warfighter’s technical challenges through research, development, prototyping, delivery, and sustainment.

Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic has facilities in five other states, generating the following economic impact:

Virginia: $1.6 billion
Maryland: $159.6 million
Washington, D.C.: $124.6 million
Louisiana: $124.1 million
Florida: $91.3 million

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