BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A nearly $7 million grant will fund a cluster of aerospace and defense projects across Eastern Kern County, with leaders saying the investment is expected to create hundreds of jobs and strengthen the region's position in the space and defense industries.
The Space, Defense, & Satellites Project Cluster brings together regional partners including Cal State Bakersfield, Mojave Air and Space Port, and the Griffiss Institute to support innovation, workforce development, and economic growth in Kern County's aerospace and defense ecosystem.
Justin Salters, California Lead for the Griffiss Institute, said the grant will fund three connected projects designed to strengthen the region's aerospace and defense industries.
"It looked at how projects can come together and how they can advance the different drivers that are needed to grow a sector in a region and ultimately to create new jobs and new opportunities," Salters said.
The plan includes upgrades to the Mojave Air and Space Port, the creation of an innovation hub at Cal State Bakersfield, and improvements to an engineering workshop in Ridgecrest that will be open to local entrepreneurs and startups.
"What you have is, you have three self-contained projects that have been awarded that we're celebrating as part of this cluster, but it wouldn't happen without deep collaboration and deep partnership," Salters said.
With construction expected to begin soon, the grant funding is also projected to create jobs in Eastern Kern both during construction and long after the projects are completed.
David Smith, CEO of the Mojave Air and Space Port, said the money will help modernize aging infrastructure dating back to World War II, when the site served as a military installation. He said those upgrades are expected to open the door for future growth, expansion, and new opportunities at the air and spaceport.
"I see this creating several hundred jobs. The various initiatives that we are going forward with improvement on that [hangar] door, replacing the roof in one of our critical buildings that will provide several hundred jobs right there, and our perimeter road, allowing increased access to our 20 rocket test stands - allow for these growth enterprises to come to Mojave and literally prosper because we've set the conditions for their success," Smith said.
The projects are funded through a California Jobs First grant, a state program focused on driving sustainable economic growth, innovation, and access to good-paying jobs.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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