Boeing builds defence engineering hub in Daytona Beach

A computer-generated image of Boeing's facility at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Boeing)

Boeing is building a new engineering facility at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. The facility will be located within the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology and initially focus on engineering work for military aircraft and advanced technology programmes, Boeing said in a 11 June statement.

The centre is part of Embry-Riddle's Research Park, where students are paired with companies across the aviation, aerospace, cyber security, commercial space, and other science, technology, and engineering fields, the statement said.

The new defence engineering centre of excellence is intended to strengthen Boeing's engineering capabilities, a Boeing spokesperson told Janes on 18 June.

The company plans to start hiring for around 200 engineering jobs in 2024 and anticipates nearly doubling this number over the next few years, the statement said. The workforce is expected to be a mix of engineers at different stages of their careers, from new hires to highly experienced, the spokesperson said.

Work at the facility will cover Boeing's defence and government services portfolios, focusing on engineering design, research, development, and prototyping capabilities, the statement said. Engineers will focus on developing aircraft, spacecraft, equipment, and capabilities needed to address complex problems facing Boeing's global military customers, the spokesperson said.

“Expanding both our footprint in Florida and partnership with Embry-Riddle will accelerate innovation across our combat aircraft programmes,” Steve Nordlund, Boeing Air Dominance vice-president and general manager, said in the statement. “We expect this location to be attractive to not only Embry-Riddle graduates, but also to established aerospace engineers from across Florida and around the nation.”