BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Space Florida has a new President and CEO.
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Robert Long is now tasked with the mission of growing the state’s aerospace industry.
“We want to make sure that the commercial industry can thrive here.” Long told Eyewitness News. “Not just from the Space Coast, but from across the entire state.”
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Florida’s Space Coast is quickly closing in on a record 70th launch for the year. Long plans to build on that momentum.
For Long, who is a retired U.S. Space Force Colonel, that includes building infrastructure and investing in the right places.
“Trying to predict the future is going to be difficult,” Long said. “But we really can, I think, set the conditions for success.”
According to Space Florida, there are a number of aerospace companies looking to do business in Central Florida.
“We’re working projects, and if you look at the number of projects, we have something like 151 projects in some form or fashion of development right now,” Long said. “Those span the entire state, so there are projects out in the Panhandle, there are projects in South Florida, on the west coast as well.”
Long also discussed the importance of regulation that supports the industry. Long says he believes there needs to be a policy and regulatory framework in place to help the aerospace industry grow.
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“I think you’re really going to find that we’re going to start to see some of that start to get solidified, and understand what is the right kind of regulation that actually enables industry to be successful,” Long said. “And then builds off the history that we have of being successful so far.”
Long says he also has interest in growing the state’s aerospace workforce. To that end, he’s already working with school districts on a way to help prepare students for careers in the industry.
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