Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today joined more than 30 aerospace executives, university and K-12 officials, and government leaders in visiting United Launch Alliance in Centennial for a tour and panel discussion on Colorado’s space economy.
The stop was part of a day-long “Front Range Aerospace Bus Tour” Bennet hosted with the Space Foundation, Ball Aerospace, United Launch Alliance, and Lockheed Martin.
“Our state’s vibrant aerospace industry is an economic driver for our economy,” Bennet said. “In order to keep moving this industry forward, it’s critical that we continue to foster this type of regional collaboration.”
“It was incredibly valuable to see and understand what other aerospace companies are doing in different regions of the state, because, as a small business, diversification is absolutely essential to our success,” Kim Madigan, CEO of veteran-owned and Centennial-based AdamWorks, said. “We need to be continually creating these types of partnerships.”
“More than 95 percent of the degrees at Mines are awarded in applied science and engineering fields, one of the highest concentrations in the nation,” Peter Han, Chief of Staff for Colorado School of Mines President Bill Scoggins, said. “That means the aerospace sector is a huge place of opportunity for our students. Besides that, our Center for Space Resources is conducting research that has a variety of applications for the defense industry and this cross-regional information is key to building those relationships.”
“This tour cemented what our students can achieve down the line if they stick with their studies, especially those in STEM-related fields,” Sandra Haynes, Dean of Metro State University’s School of Professional Studies, said. “It’s an advantage to be located within such close proximity of these opportunities.”
The tour was designed to further advance regional cooperation and highlight key facets of Colorado’s vibrant aerospace economy.
Other stops included Ball Aerospace in Boulder and the Space Foundation in Colorado Springs.