It was a week of marathon meetings and events for the largest delegation from Washington ever to attend the Farnborough International Airshow July 22-26.

A total of 68 business representatives and economic development and trade professionals made the trek to southeast London to talk sustainability and showcase Washington’s unique strengths and priorities, including:

• Sustainable fuels
• Electric aircraft
• Industry 4.0
• Factory automation
• Uncrewed systems
• Advanced air mobility
• Commercial space

Pierce County’s delegation included EDB President and CEO Bruce Kendall; EDB Vice President for Business Recruitment Sarah Bonds; Pierce County Economic Development Director Betty Capestany; Eatonville Mayor David Baublits; and Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morell.

Pierce County delegates at the Farnborough International Airshow: Dave Morrell, Sarah Bonds, Bruce Kendall, Betty Capestany and David Baublits.

The team joined other Washington State partners to meet with aerospace industry leaders, connect with new and existing contacts, and showcase the region’s assets, amenities and advantages to firms interested in relocating or expanding their operations.

Representatives from 16 of Washington’s more than 1,500 aerospace companies were also at the Choose Washington Pavilion to meet with air show attendees. A strong presence from Pierce County included GKN Aerospace, General Plastics and Boeing.

Farnborough hot takes

Sustainability and the path to net zero were front and center at Farnborough as world leaders and industry pioneers came together to focus on the future of aviation. With a worldwide supplier crisis slowing production, the path forward is all about collaboration.

“It was evident that the entire industry is focused on getting the supply chain healthy,” Sarah Bonds said. “The aerospace industry is not going anywhere, so working together and finding solid solutions is in the industry’s best interest.”

Bonds shared these notable Farnborough highlights:

• Ahead of the air show, the EDB scheduled 14 meetings with companies from Turkey, the UK, France, India and Austria.
• During the event, the EDB identified an additional 28 companies to meet with, including those the EDB had previously connected with that are interested in expanding to Pierce County.
• Boeing secured 118 commitments, including 96 firm orders and 22 options. The largest order came from Korean Air, which ordered 50 aircraft.
• All eyes were on electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Boeing-owned Wisk displayed its full-scale model of its four-passenger Gen 6 pilotless air taxi, which it plans to start flying later this year.
• The daily commute was a doozy. Delegates took trains, buses and unexpected two-hour taxi rides due to train service disruptions.
• Between getting to and from the show and traversing the tradeshow floor, delegates logged an average of 7.7 miles each day.
• The event drew 75,000 visitors from 102 countries.

Next up: Work the leads

Now that the Pierce County delegation is back on U.S. soil, the follow-up begins.

“We met with several companies that are interested in visiting the South Sound in the near future,” Bonds said. “Aerospace in Pierce County is strong and set up for continued success.”