Joby awarded $9.8m California Competes grant
Joby has been awarded a $9.8m California Competes grant to support the firm’s continued growth in the state.
The grant, given out by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), will finance a sizeable expansion of Joby’s facilities in Marina, California upping manufacturing volumes and supporting initial training for pilots and maintainers. Joby was one of eight firms in the state to receive grants and one of two eVTOL companies, alongside Aibot.
The funds will also assist with continued hiring at Joby’s other offices in San Carlos and Santa Cruz. Joby has also committed to invest $41.3m and create 690 additional jobs in the state by 2027 as part of the agreement.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Job said: “We’re honoured to receive a prestigious CalCompetes grant from our home state of California to support pilot training and the growth of our manufacturing facilities in advance of early operations. Joby was founded in 2009, today employs more than 1,250 people across the state, and we’re thrilled to be able to keep growing in California as we deliver revolutionary emissions-free flight.”
The grant will help Joby accelerate early manufacturing in California, which directly supports the ongoing type certification programme with the FAA, as well as initial commercial operations expected to begin in 2025.
California Senator Anna Caballero added: “This grant to Joby for their planned manufacturing expansion in Marina, California affirms California’s commitment to build the future of advanced air mobility through a partnership with government, community and industry, which I like to describe as the Marina Way. The Marina Way can be a model for how we solve climate, housing, and transportation challenges. The passage of my legislation, SB800, will lay out the regulatory framework for AAM. I am glad to see that AAM will take flight by 2025.”
Bruce Delgado, Mayor of Marina, added: “Marina is excited that, with this CalCompetes grant, Joby will be able to expand their production capabilities at our Marina Municipal Airport, creating hundreds of new, local jobs. The funding will also support Joby in expanding their research and development hub here in Marina and continue their success as a leader in the eVTOL industry.”
While Joby plans to manufacture aircraft in support of initial operations from its California-based facilities, it announced in September it will locate its first scaled manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio. The firm plans to build a facility in Dayton capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year, supporting up to 2,000 jobs.
