DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Boeing cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new engineering center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park, a project leaders say will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs and a major economic boost to Volusia County.

The 65,000-square-foot facility, located inside the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, will support Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security programs. Company officials announced about 400 new technical and engineering jobs are expected to come with the opening.

“These are good, high-paying, technical and engineering jobs for us,” said Mark Spears, Boeing vice president of Fighters. “It’s a great opportunity to tap into a wealth of talent that exists here, certainly off the university, but really in Central Florida in general.”

The new center builds on Embry-Riddle’s Research Park, which has already generated nearly 2,000 jobs and more than $370 million in economic impact across Florida.

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Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler said the partnership highlights a unique opportunity for students.

“We have going on 9,000 students here and pretty much every one of them has grown up wanting to be a part of what goes on in a place like Boeing,” Butler said. “Especially Boeing, the gold standard for aerospace.”

Boeing officials acknowledged the company has faced challenges in recent years but described the Daytona Beach expansion as part of its long-term recovery.

“The company’s had some challenging years for sure, and we are on our path to recovery,” Spears said. “That recovery allows us to start to rebuild. There is a lot of excitement and pride that we can take on that.”

Local leaders called the opening a milestone for Volusia County and said it could pave the way for more aerospace investment in the region.