The three states that were finalists in EADS North America industrial site competition for its multi-role tanker production and assembly facility --- Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina -- will receive university engineering scholarships.
EADS North America presented $100,000 to each of the state governors to establish five-year scholarship programs at Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi; the University of Central Florida and University of Florida; and South Carolina's Clemson University, The Citadel, and the University of South Carolina.
"The scholarship contributions are a fulfillment of our promise and part of our company's commitment to creating a new center of aerospace excellence in the Southeastern United States," said Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., EADS North America's Chairman and CEO.
These scholarships will be awarded to deserving students who are pursuing degrees in aerospace engineering and related fields. In addition, scholarship recipients will be encouraged to apply for internships at Airbus North America's newest U.S. engineering center -- which is being built at the Mobile, Alabama location that was ultimately chosen for EADS North America's military tanker industrial facility. The Mobile Engineering Center is scheduled to open in early 2007.
The center will assemble large commercial aircraft to be militarized as the Northrop Grumman KC-30 Tanker. EADS North America is a teammate and principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman, which is offering KC-30 advanced tankers for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling aircraft.
Sources: IndustryWeek staff, Agence France-Presse
