~ Governor DeSantis officially opened the Florida Pavilion at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, supporting 18 Florida-based exhibitors—including small and emerging businesses, higher education institutions, economic development organizations, and airports ~
FARNBOROUGH, UNITED KINGDOM —On the first day of the International Business Development Leadership Mission to the United Kingdom, Governor DeSantis officially opened the Florida Pavilion at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, supporting 18 Florida-based exhibitors—including small and emerging businesses, higher education institutions, economic development organizations, and airports—participating in the Florida Pavilion, helping them gain access to international markets and potential investment partners. Today at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Florida Pavilion, Governor DeSantis announced that Relativity Space has committed to expanding its operations on the Space Coast, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Space Florida and the U.K. Space Agency (UKSA) to advance international space collaboration.
“Governor DeSantis’ support at events like the Farnborough International Airshow reinforces Florida’s position as a leader in aerospace and aviation, military and defense, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “The Florida Pavilion at Farnborough supports small and emerging Florida aerospace and aviation companies as they showcase the strength and ferocity of Florida’s economy.”
Relativity Space—an aerospace manufacturing company—has committed to expanding its operations on the Space Coast, bringing substantial capital investments and creating thousands of high-skill, high-wage jobs for Floridians. In support of their mission and to meet growing demand for launch, Relativity plans to construct an additional Terran R production facility to complement its existing facilities. Under the agreement, Relativity will also expand test and launch support infrastructure across Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Building on a strong relationship between the United Kingdom and Florida—solidified by the 2023 UK-Florida MOU signed by Governor DeSantis and the former U.K. Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch to increase bilateral investments, strengthen business ties and grow academic partnerships—this new partnership between Space Florida and UKSA will advance international space collaboration through joint projects in space transportation, satellite systems, in-space research, and in-orbit servicing and manufacturing. This is the first agreement signed under Florida’s International Aerospace Innovation Fund (IAIF) and includes $200,000 in committed funding from each entity to support research, innovation and commercialization projects.
From Sunday, July 20, through Friday, July 24, Governor DeSantis is leading an international business development mission to the United Kingdom and is joined by a distinguished delegation of state leaders, academic institutions, and industry representatives, including:
- Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly
- Florida Secretary of Transportation Jared W. Perdue
- Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd
- Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky
- Space Florida President & CEO Rob Long
- Florida International University President Jeanette Nuñez
- University of Central Florida President Alexander Cartwright
The delegation will also include representatives from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, New College of Florida, Polk State College, the University of Florida, Florida economic development organizations and companies across aerospace and aviation, military and defense, transportation, and logistics sectors.