A new project at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus is expected to create 387 new jobs and spur $1.6 million in private investment.

Partially funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce through its Economic Development Administration (EDA), the project will establish Embry-Riddle’s Applied Aviation and Engineering Research Hangar. This facility will be the new home of the Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC), 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,” says university President P. Barry Butler. “We are pleased and honored to receive this research award to advance innovation, economic development and job growth in Florida.”

Established in 1998, the EFRC continues to guide aviation technology into the future. “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,” says EFRC Director Richard “Pat” Anderson.

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council. The expected completion date is winter 2019.