Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to help build the Applied Aviation and Engineering Research Hangar. The facility will serve as the new home for the Eagle Flight Research Center, a hub for engineering research and development.
“Embry-Riddle has a 90-year legacy of innovation, and our research is shaping the future of human mobility,” said University President Dr. P. Barry Butler. “We are pleased and honored to receive this research award to advance innovation, economic development and job growth in Florida.”
The Eagle Flight Research Center, which was established in 1998, will help to foster innovation and increase its attractiveness to the private sector.
“Our continuing research will encompass aviation innovation projects such as alternative propulsion systems, electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, and electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL aircraft, as well as new fuels,” said Center Director Richard Anderson.
The project is expected to create 387 jobs, and spur $1.6 million in private investment.
“This project is the product of local leader’s efforts to spur economic opportunities in Volusia County,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The completion of this project will help strengthen the region’s aeronautical sector, making the community a potential destination for both domestic and foreign investment.”
