JetZero will open an engineering office in the John Bardo Center on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus near the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). The new satellite engineering office will focus on advanced materials expertise, digital engineering and certification testing capabilities in direct support of JetZero’s Z4 program.

The Wichita office deepens JetZero's presence in the U.S. aerospace industrial base, complementing the company's headquarters and advanced manufacturing and final assembly campus under construction in Greensboro, North Carolina and its Design Center in Long Beach, California. 

“Opening a satellite engineering office in Wichita expands our ability to attract the world’s best talent,” said Dan da Silva, JetZero president and chief operating officer. “JetZero and NIAR have been collaborating for years on composite materials qualification and structural testing for the Z4 demonstrator. The selection of Wichita for this office, where some of our structures engineers are already located, will help propel in-person collaboration as we continue to meet our milestones for the demonstrator’s first flight by the end of 2027.”

NIAR is the largest university-based aerospace research institution in the country, home to the Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), the Aircraft Structural Test and Evaluation Center (ASTEC) and the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), which maintains the shared composite materials database used across the commercial and defense aerospace industry. 

“JetZero’s forward-thinking approach reflects the spirit of innovation that drives Wichita State,” said WSU President Rick Muma. “With access to premier advanced manufacturing research and prototyping facilities, deep engineering expertise and a pipeline of students engaged in real-world applied learning, Jet Zero’s presence on the Innovation Campus further strengthens Wichita’s position at the forefront of the future of flight.”

John Tomblin, WSU executive vice president for Industry and Defense Programs and executive director of NIAR, said the expanded partnership builds on years of collaboration.

“JetZero and NIAR are working side by side to help realize the next major leap in aircraft efficiency. Their decision to join the Innovation Campus ecosystem creates even greater opportunities for integrated research, rapid prototyping, testing and workforce development,” Tomblin said. 

Kansas has also emerged as a hub for next-generation composite manufacturing investment, with global materials suppliers expanding automated fiber placement and advanced composite manufacturing.

JetZero plans to begin operations at WSU’s Innovation Campus later this year.

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 25,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry- and defense-funded engineering R&D and No. 9 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University provides research, testing, certification and training services support the aviation, defense and advanced manufacturing industries. NIAR’s mission is to strengthen university research capabilities; provide applied learning opportunities for students; and support the aviation and manufacturing industries – while driving innovation and prosperity for the community, region and state. Established in 1985, NIAR has a $400 million annual budget, 2,100 personnel and over 2 million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across Wichita, Kan., and one in Huntsville, Ala. www.wichita.edu/niar 

Contact: Tracee Friess, NIAR A.V.P. Strategic Communication & Marketing tracee.friess@idp.wichita.edu 

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JetZero is an American aerospace company developing a new generation of more efficient commercial and defense aircraft. The company partners with leading manufacturers and technology providers to advance the future of flight through innovation and American manufacturing excellence.

Contact: Press@JetZero.aero  

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