Aerospace & Defense

Aerospace & Defense in the Austin region

The Austin Region’s Aerospace & Defense cluster is rapidly expanding, adding a new dimension to the region’s established tech landscape. With aerospace as a longstanding business line among Austin’s tech employers, the region embraces the challenges and opportunities of advancing technologies.

120+
Defense

Companies

14,000
Employees

in aerospace industry

140,000+
Jobs

in STEM occupations

Recent Announcements & Economic Impact in Austin

Economic Impact

#4 Metro for tech’s economic impact as a percentage of the local economy (24.7%) – CompTIA

Major Announcements

DARPA Selection: Firefly Aerospace and ICON chosen for the lunar spacecraft hub – TechCrunch

Acutronic HQ Relocation & Manufacturing Expansion: Acutronic relocated their global headquarters to Austin, expanded their manufacturing facility in Bastrop, and developed a PTECH program with a regional ISD

Military Influence

Army Futures Command: Headquartered in Austin with over 17,000 personnel worldwide, established in 2018 to drive technological innovation and warfighting capability.

AFWERX: Established in 2017 to accelerate agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming innovative technology developers with Airman and Guardian talent.

Army Applications Laboratory: Located in Austin, this innovation unit partners with industry and government to develop and implement cutting-edge solutions for Soldiers.

Strategic Workforce Location: Austin benefits from a skilled workforce of trained personnel transitioning from nearby Fort Cavazos and Joint Base San Antonio.

UT Austin: Leading R&D And Academic Excellence

Rankings
#5 in DOD-financed R&D spending
#6 in Mathematics R&D spending
#7 in Computer Science Graduate Program
 
#8 in Computer Engineering
#8 in Engineering R&D
#8 in Aerospace Graduate Programs
Academic Programs (Eningeering)
6,000 Undergraduate students
2,000 Graduate students

Aerospace & Defense Employers in the Austin Region

austin in action - case studies

Real-world examples of growth, innovation, and investment. Read our case studies to see how Austin can help you.

Base Power

Base Power was founded in Austin at a moment when the city’s startup culture, talent base, and business environment aligned…

Firefly

Firefly operates with design, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, integration, and testing all located within a 25-mile radius, enabling rapid collaboration, reduced…

SetPoint

Set Point Technologies, founded in 2015, provides software solutions for capital markets. The platform allows borrowers and lenders—including banks, asset…

Igloo

Igloo is on a mission to make keys obsolete, bringing the same convenience we’ve come to expect from cars, hotels,…