Expansion Management

Alabama Home to Boeing's New Research Site

June 24, 2015

The center will provide technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of existing Boeing products.

Adrienne Selko

Boeing’s (IW 500/13) new research and technology center in Alabama, which was opened last week, will serve as the company's hub for collaborative technology development with academic institutions and research partners in analytics and simulation in the Southeast United States.

"The next 100 years of innovation starts here," said Steve Swaine, leader of the Boeing Research & Technology-Alabama (BR&T-Alabama) research center, which is comprised of 80,000 square feet of laboratories and offices.

BR&T is the company's advanced and central research and development organization, providing technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of existing Boeing products and services.

With 220 engineers, technicians and staff, the center will work on technologies that include simulation and analytics, systems analysis, applied mathematics, chemicals, composite materials, metals and ceramics, propulsion, avionics systems and sensors, communication and sensing, cybersecurity, materials and processes and product standards.

Looking for applications across a variety of sectors, the the BR&T-Alabama team has lab space equipped with autoclaves that heat-treat composite materials, an accelerated rate calorimeter to test heat reactions, state-of-the-art machines to test the properties of metals, and computers to simulate and test vehicle management systems.

The team has built multiple computing networks that enable researchers around the globe to integrate simulations and further technology development in a fast and collaborative environment.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.