Harris Corp To Invest $125 million in R&D

Global defense and aerospace firm, Harris Corp, has in the past fixated its services on communication services for the United States military, but this year, it has decided to broaden its services horizon through a multi-million dollar investment.

Harris Corporation announced on Dec 10, 2018, that it plans on bringing around $125 million in internal research and development (R&D) to Florida this financial year. The firm’s R&D activities will chiefly take place at its central Florida branches, where Farris Corp is based, and pay attention to areas like avionics, electronic warfare, small satellites and robotics. The state will receive more than a third of the firm’s total $300 million+ internal R&D budget.

Harris Corp’s Florida presence will also be supplemented by its lately publicized plan to merge with L3 Technologies. L3 Harris Technologies (the newly combined firm) will have its headquarters in Melbourne, Florida. This will result in investment growth and create additional employment opportunities in the state.

The Internal R&D will support the firm’s 7,000+ staff based in Florida, including more than 3,300 scientists and engineers. The $125 million investment will also generate higher paying jobs that will pay an annual average salary of $95,000.

Harris Corp did not disclose the number of jobs the R&D investment will generate, but the firm currently has around 375 job openings in Florida; most of them being in engineering. This big monetary commitment will also nurture partnerships with universities and companies that Harris works with to fulfill the hundreds of contracts it secures each year.

Some of the institutions Harris has partnered with include Florida Institute of Technology, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida and the University of Florida.

In the meantime, Harris Corp has already ventured into the small satellite industry. On Dec 6, 2018, the firm launched its 1st backpack-sized satellite into space utilizing India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

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