Cirrus Aircraft Celebrates its Innovation Center Grand Opening in Duluth

Cirrus Aircraft announced the grand opening of its Innovation Center located at its headquarters at the Duluth International Airport (KDLH) in Minnesota. The Innovation Center is dedicated to the development of the next-generation innovation that supports Cirrus Aircraft’s products and services while preserving the mission they serve and making personal aviation more approachable.

Cirrus Aircraft has provided significant investment to transform the 189,000-square-foot building on 39 acres into a state-of-the-art Innovation Center. Innovation Center capabilities include a larger and more capable Material and Processes Lab, a new Integration Test Lab, an upgraded Advanced Design & Development Lab, and new environmental equipment and testing capabilities as well as significant floor space increase for development and testing. Additionally, the Innovation Center features flexible and collaborative workspaces and amenities to provide an optimal team environment.

“These new facilities and capabilities enable our engineers, technicians and researchers to more rapidly design, develop and certify our next generation of Cirrus products in a connected, synergetic environment,” said Ken Harness, Senior Vice President of Product Development of Cirrus Aircraft. 

“The Innovation Center is an incredible company milestone that supports the future development and endeavors of Cirrus Aircraft product development,” said Zean Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Aircraft. “We are continuing to invest in the company and the City of Duluth with the Innovation Center opening. We have worked closely with our partners to renovate the building and hire more engineers and technicians to join the new facility in Duluth.”

Over thirty engineers and technicians have been added since 2022, now exceeding 300 people at the Innovation Center.

Join the Cirrus Aircraft Innovation Center team today cirrusaircraft.com/careers.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.