Coalition looks to build aerospace center in Milwaukee

A new partnership is looking to establish an aerospace center of excellence in Milwaukee.

The effort, announced at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh yesterday, would be similar to the Global Water Center in Milwaukee. It would seek to capitalize on the state’s aviation and aerospace cluster.

There’s no timetable yet on building the center, which would be located at the Milwaukee campus of the Astronautics Corporation of America, the company that has taken the lead on the center.

But the Center of Excellence for Integrated Aerospace and Defense Technologies would be a gathering place for industry and academia, as well as give research opportunities to those looking to get into the field.

“I want to see that next generation get into aerospace and have the success that a lot of us have had and enjoyment,” Astronautics President Chad Cundiff said.

The effort is expected to get help from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. If the coalition applies for a grant and is approved, the agency would likely award between $500,000 and $1 million, WEDC spokesman Mark Maley said.

See the announcement


— By Polo Rocha,
WisBusiness.com