DULUTH, Minn. , Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirrus Aircraft today announced the grand opening of its Innovation Center located at its headquarters at the Duluth International Airport (KDLH) in Minnesota. The Innovation Center is dedicated to the development of the next-generation innovation that supports Cirrus Aircraft's products and services while preserving the mission they serve and making personal aviation more approachable.
Cirrus Aircraft has provided significant investment to transform the 189,000-square-foot building on 39 acres into a state-of-the-art Innovation Center. Innovation Center capabilities include a larger and more capable Material and Processes Lab, a new Integration Test Lab, an upgraded Advanced Design & Development Lab, and new environmental equipment and testing capabilities as well as significant floor space increase for development and testing. Additionally, the Innovation Center features flexible and collaborative workspaces and amenities to provide an optimal team environment.
"These new facilities and capabilities enable our engineers, technicians and researchers to more rapidly design, develop and certify our next generation of Cirrus products in a connected, synergetic environment," said Ken Harness, Senior Vice President of Product Development of Cirrus Aircraft.
"The Innovation Center is an incredible company milestone that supports the future development and endeavors of Cirrus Aircraft product development," said Zean Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Aircraft. "We are continuing to invest in the company and the City of Duluth with the Innovation Center opening. We have worked closely with our partners to renovate the building and hire more engineers and technicians to join the new facility in Duluth."
Over thirty engineers and technicians have been added since 2022, now exceeding 300 people at the Innovation Center.
Cirrus Aircraft is the recognized global leader in personal aviation and the maker of the best-selling SR Series piston aircraft and the Vision Jet®, the world's first single-engine Personal Jet™, and the recipient of the Robert J. Collier Trophy. Founded in 1984, the company has redefined aviation performance, comfort and safety with innovations like the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®) – the first FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute safety system included as standard equipment on an aircraft. To date, worldwide flight time on Cirrus aircraft has passed 15 million hours, and 250 people have returned home safely to their families as a result of the inclusion of CAPS as a standard feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The company has seven locations in the United States, including Duluth, Minnesota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Greater Dallas, Texas; Greater Phoenix, Arizona; Greater Orlando, Florida; Knoxville, Tennessee and Benton Harbor, Michigan. Learn more at cirrusaircraft.com.
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