The Boeing Company in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) announced plans to establish a research segment of its aerospace manufacturing operations in Daytona Beach by this fall. This move is expected to create 400 high-paying positions by the end of 2026.
The new facility will be located at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, which is currently under construction in ERAU’s expanding research park along Clyde Morris Boulevard. This initiative has been propelled by a generous $25 million donation from the Browns, matched by an equal contribution from last year’s state budget.
Embry-Riddle officials have described this collaboration with Boeing as a transformative event for the local economy of Daytona Beach and the broader region of Volusia County. Mori Hosseini, Chairman of the Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees, emphasized the strategic importance of this partnership. “Embry-Riddle is at the tip of Florida’s Space Triangle, and Boeing selecting ERAU and Volusia County will redefine our university and our community,” Hosseini stated. “With 400 new, high-paying jobs right here in our backyard, the future has never been brighter in Central Florida and Volusia County.”
This expansion by Boeing is seen as a pivotal milestone for ERAU’s research park, which was inaugurated in 2017. The venture will primarily involve engineers tasked with advancing the Defense, Space & Security divisions’ capabilities. Additional roles will include supply-chain managers, human-resources personnel, and business analysts, according to Steve Nordlund, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Air Dominance. Typically when we open up a facility, we’re going to concentrate on, you know, what we need to deliver to our customers and that’s usually around, you know, development of our products and support of our products going forward,” Nordlund explained.
Nordlund also noted that the decision to expand into Daytona Beach was strategically made without any specific external triggers. This development promises to boost local economic growth by attracting more companies to the area and enhancing the aerospace and defense industry presence in Central Florida.