Press Release
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1 Million to Grow Houston’s Critical Aerospace Sector
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
February 21, 2017
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1 million grant to the city of Houston, Texas, to provide critical infrastructure in support of the Houston Spaceport education and incubation hub project, which is being built adjacent to Ellington Airport to help advance the growth the region’s aerospace sector. According to grantee, the project is expected to create more than 300 jobs and spur $12 million in private investment.
“EDA works hand-in-hand with local economic development partners to advance their locally-developed projects which are linked to the region’s longer-term, sustainable economic development strategy,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs Tom Guevara. “The EDA grant announced today will advance the development of Houston’s Spaceport project, which is being implemented to support job training and workforce development, job expansion of major employers, small business retention and expansion, increased entrepreneurship, and industrial and business park development related to the aerospace sector.”
The Houston Airport System has partnered with several universities, including the University of Houston, Rice University and Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas at Austin to engage in research, and job training in the aerospace sector in order to provide a skilled local workforce for employment opportunities created by this investment.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.