Boeing Will Create Aerospace & Autonomy Center In MIT’s Kendall Square Area
The Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is considered by some to be the most innovative square mile in the world. It’s also the site of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s multi-billion dollar Kendall Square Initiative, which aims to develop six buildings to house lab, research, office, housing, and retail space. On Aug. 1, Boeing announced it will establish a new Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center as part of the initiative, making it the development’s first major tenant.
Shaping Travel & Transport
Boeing will specifically lease 100,000 square feet of research space in a new 17-story building in Kendall Square where its employees and those from its subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences will work to design, build, and fly aircraft and develop underlying technologies. This work will help support the Boeing NeXt organization Boeing recently launched to “shape the future of travel and transport,” by delivering UTM (unmanned aircraft system traffic management) solutions.
Greg Hyslop, Boeing CTO, says Boeing’s investment will create a hub where Boeing engineers can work with those from its global research partners to “leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.” Once the center is completed, Aurora Flight Sciences employees will move from that company’s existing R&D center in Kendall Square and operate the new center on Boeing’s behalf. Noting that Aurora’s Kendall Square team is “already building innovative autonomous systems," John Langford, Aurora’s CEO and an MIT alumnus, says the center will enable collaborators to work to “create technologies that will define the next century of air mobility."
A Long History
Boeing didn’t release financial terms of the lease agreement but did note that it continues a century-long relationship with MIT to advance aerospace innovation. Last year, Boeing helped sponsor an $18 million initiative to replace MIT’s Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel. Martin Schmidt, MIT provost, said MIT's Aeronautics and Astronautics department is excelling in “developing new air transportation concepts, autonomous systems, and small satellites.” Boeing’s presence, he said, “will create an unprecedented opportunity for new synergies in this industry."
In addition to its aerospace research efforts, Boeing manufactures commercial aircraft and business jets. Controller.com has numerous used Boeing aircraft for sale, including 727s, 737s, 757s, 777s, 747s, and Boeing Business Jet aircraft.
Source: Boeing
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