Harris Corp INVESTING ON THE SPACE COAST
December 10, 2018 — The good news is Harris Corporation plans to invest $125M in Florida in this fiscal year, netting additional high-paying jobs and further securing its reputation as an innovation leader.
Florida-based R&D activities primarily will take place at the company’s central Florida locations and focus in electronic warfare, robotics, avionics and smallsats. The region will receive over a third of the company’s overall $300 million-plus annual internal R&D budget – representing an industry-leading 5 percent of company revenue.
The Harris investment will help foster Harris’ partnership with companies and universities throughout the state. Harris spends more than $200 million annually with Florida based suppliers. The company also partners with multiple Florida colleges and universities, including the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and Florida Institute of Technology.
“As the largest Aerospace and Defense company headquartered in Florida, Harris Corp plays an integral role in our state,” said U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). “With the announcement of this research and development, I’m pleased to see that they are continuing to invest in our state’s aerospace industry and economy as well as the future of U.S. national security.”
“Our industry-leading R&D investment is good for our stakeholders and the state – advancing the company’s technical capabilities and bringing high-quality jobs to the area,” said William M. Brown, chairman, president and CEO. “We strive to advance technology initiatives at all levels by supporting emerging technology today and the workforce of tomorrow.”
The company recently announced plans to merge with L3 Technologies. The combined company, L3 Harris Technologies, will be headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.
Harris is one of the largest public companies headquartered in Florida, in key areas such as public safety, air traffic management, space and defense. It has 15 locations with 3.5 million square feet of office and manufacturing space, including the 464,000-square-foot Harris Technology Center, Palm Bay, and 23,000-square-foot Global Innovation Center, Melbourne. The company has approximately 375 openings in the state, primarily in engineering.