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Saab has announced a new site for advanced manufacturing and production in West Lafayette, Indiana – the site will be located at the Purdue University-affiliated Discovery Park District. Saab intends to invest US$37 million over the coming years from 2020.
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The initial focus for the site will be aeronautical engineering; producing major structural sections and final assembly of the Saab parts of the T-X advanced jet trainer, developed by Boeing and Saab for the US Air Force.
Saab and Boeing designed, developed and flight-tested two all-new, purpose-built jets – proving out the system’s design and repeatability in manufacturing and training capability.
Saab has entered into a partnership with the Purdue University, and through this intends to expand its US-based research and development within possible areas such as sensor systems, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
Saab president and CEO Håkan Buskhe welcomed the major milestone, saying, "This is a historic moment for Saab. After careful consideration, we have chosen West Lafayette, thanks to the visionary leadership of both the state of Indiana and the world-leading Purdue University. Today’s announcement is a part of our growth strategy in the US, and deepens our relationship with the US customer. We see great possibilities here for this facility and our partnerships."
Construction of the new site is expected to begin in 2020. Hiring of local employees will also start during 2020 and Saab will initially create up to 300 new full-time positions for Indiana resident employees at the site.
With its North American headquarters in Syracuse, New York, this facility will mean Saab has US-based business units in a total of five states. Saab serves the US government, industry and commercial customers with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
