Economic Development Commission

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Florida’s Space Coast have partnered on economic development since 2005, when they signed a Space Act Agreement (SAA) that formally outlines their cooperative effort.  In 2011, NASA and the EDC renewed their partnership by signing a second, 5-year SAA.  The EDC is a private, not-for-profit coalition whose stakeholders are business leaders committed to the economic growth and stability of Florida's Space Coast.  Under the SAA, EDC and KSC officials meet regularly to discuss economic development issues of mutual interest, look for potential business partnerships, and collaborate on industry recruitment initiatives aimed at space-related, high-tech companies.  “The Space Coast workforce is a national treasure that attracts world-class companies… [that] have established or expanded operations on the Space Coast, generating more than 2,300 jobs and more than $240 million in capital investment,” said Lynda Weatherman, President and CEO of the Space Coast EDC.  “Since the Apollo era, space was not our final frontier – it was only the beginning.”