The Florida Model for Sustainable Aerospace Growth

Twenty years ago, the Florida legislature created Space Florida as a public corporation and innovation connector. The state has since emerged as one of the most robust space and aerospace ecosystems in the world by prioritizing long-term foundational investments over short-term subsidies. We spoke with Robert Long, Space Florida's president and CEO.

Often what we see across the country is a focus on cash incentives up front. That gets you through the announcement and the first phase. But, depending on the company, that may be it.

Our approach is certainly founded upon really digging into a company, understanding the fundamentals and doing our due diligence. That's targeted around ensuring that we understand not just the finances of the company, but also the infrastructure requirements. What will they need to grow?