Boeing has announced plans to open the new Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center, becoming the first major tenant of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) new mixed-use district in Kendall Square.

Under the agreement, Boeing will lease 100,000 square feet of research and lab space inside a new 17-floor building at 314 Main Street in Cambridge. The new centre will house employees from Boeing and subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, who will focus on designing, building and flying autonomous aircraft and developing enabling technologies.

What’s NeXt?

The investment in the new centre follows the recent creation of Boeing NeXt. This new organisation unites researchers across the company to work on future-focused projects, including the development of an airspace management system to enable the safe co-existence of piloted and autonomous vehicles. Employees at the new centre will help develop new technologies in support of Boeing NeXt programmes.

Greg Hyslop, Boeing Chief Technology Officer, said: “Boeing is leading the development of new autonomous vehicles and future transportation systems that will bring flight closer to home.

“By investing in this new research facility, we are creating a hub where our engineers can collaborate with other Boeing engineers and research partners around the world and leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.”

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