Report highlights Central Coast as aerospace hub
A new report makes the case that with 7,000 companies employing some 80,000 workers, the region should be recognized as major hub for aerospace and autonomous systems.
Called “The Central Coast: Built to Prove What’s Next,” the report catalogues a number of familiar assets, and some new initiatives. The report was released by a group of economic developments organizations called Uplift Central Coast, on October 7.
The eco/devo group includes REACH, the Economic Development Collaborative or EDC and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership.
“Each part of the Central Coast brings something different to this ecosystem,” said Bruce Stenslie, President & CEO. (Business Times Founder Henry Dubroff serves on the EDC board.)
The report details activities in Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. In the tri-county region, In the tri-counties it ranges from Camp Roberts which straddles Monterey and SLO Counties to Ventura County, which hosts several major employers including Teledyne Technologies, AeroVironment and Naval Base Ventura County.
The naval test range off Point Mugu in Ventura County and Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, with vastly expanded launch capacity are also major assets, according to the report, which noted AeroVironment’s recent $100 million investment into a new facility in Moorpark.
The report details a number of lesser-known activities in the aerospace and autonomous vehicle arena.
*Naval Base Ventura County, the county’s HIVE accelerator and Fathomwerx, a public-private accelerator located at the Port of Hueneme have developed a 500-square mile test range based in Camarillo. It’s been getting traction with emerging autonomous vehicle companies.
*The Paso Robles Airport is developing 1300 acres into what it hopes to be a fully licensed space port operation. On Oct. 6, the city council approved a contract to proceed with developing a submission to the Federal Aviation Administration for a fully functioning spaceport license. FAA approval will make the facility attractive for aerospace jobs, according to Mark Scandallis, airport manager.
“The Central Coast already has an incredible foundation in this industry,” said Melissa James, President & CEO of REACH. “We have companies designing and manufacturing next-generation technologies, world-class engineering and research talent, and real-world environments where these systems can be tested and proven.”
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