Aerospace & Defense

Arizona’s Aerospace & Defense (A&D) industry faces several challenges to its continued growth thanks to an increasingly competitive economic landscape and the changing technological needs of the military.

The current report, commissioned by Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz):

• Summarizes the current  state of the A&D industry within Arizona;
• Identifies key players and developments that could yield additional growth to the industry;
• Provides an overview of best practice in other states;
• Evaluates the threats, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths of Arizona’s A&D industry;
• Identifies a range of strategic choices open to the A&D industry within Arizona today; and
• Recommends a plan to enable the industry to maximize its opportunities while simultaneously minimizing the impact of any weaknesses and protecting itself against threats.

Drawing from a literature review and in-depth interviews with five industry stakeholders, the report examines the business environment, the supply chain, research competitiveness, workforce, educational policies, and the case for an Aerospace Institute.

Project Files:

Aerospace & Defense Industry in Arizona (March 2011)