Boeing Begins Construction of Simulation and Analytics Lab Space in Huntsville

Boeing adds 7,000 square feet of lab space to research center; construction will be complete in mid-2015

News provided by

Dec 11, 2014, 11:05 ET

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced it has begun construction on a 7,000-square-foot addition to its research and technology center in Alabama.

Known as the Center for Applied Simulation and Analytics (CASA), the new lab space will serve as a hub for Boeing, its research partners and academic collaborators to create and develop simulation and analytics technologies, providing advanced simulation of Boeing products from concepts through operations.

"This lab will help us create flexible and affordable environments for modeling, simulation and analytics research," said Steve Swaine, leader of the Boeing Research &Technology–Alabama research center and director of Support and Analytics Technology. "Our goal is to bring the best and brightest in the support and analytics industry together in one location and give them all the tools they need to create the most effective simulations and analysis methods for validating new technologies."

The lab, which is scheduled to open in mid-2015, will consist of seven individual laboratories and a large collaboration center that will provide an immersive environment for technology development and customer interaction. It will take advantage of Boeing's extensive worldwide capabilities to enable geographically distributed teams to provide advanced math, analytics and simulation technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency across the lifecycle of Boeing products and services.

"The growth in BR&T-Alabama shows that Huntsville is a leader in technological advancement," said Mayor Tommy Battle. "Advanced analytics skills are needed to create the next-generation capabilities in aerospace. With up to 300 jobs opening up over the next two years, Boeing is capitalizing on the talent, ability and incredibly educated workforce we have in Huntsville, further demonstrating why Huntsville is a great destination for talented engineers and technicians."

The CASA labs include:

Cyber Security
Data Analytics
Mobile Development
Modeling and Simulation
System Engineering Integrated Technology
Technology Integration
Immersive Visualization

The BR&T–Alabama research center includes metals and fracture technology, chemical technology and many new or increased labs, such as radio frequency systems, advanced systems integration, vehicle management systems integration, composites lab and advanced electromechanical technologies.

Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong says, "BR&T–Alabama is supporting the further economic development of Madison County. It is one more tangible result of the vision and action of people who strive to maintain and improve the quality of our life in this cosmopolitan community."

Boeing Research & Technology is the company's advanced and central R&D 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. The company's research and technology development is conducted at 11 Boeing research centers in Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Russia and the United States, including Alabama, California, Missouri, South Carolina and Washington.