Florida Officials Wrap Up UK Trade Mission Focused On Aerospace, Transport, And Academics

Danielle Shockey Tue, July 28, 2026 at 8:03 PM UTC

0

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (X)

A delegation of Florida state officials and university leaders completed an international business development mission to the United Kingdom this week, concluding engagements across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland aimed at expanding trade, aerospace manufacturing, and academic research.

The trip, which ran from July 20 through July 24, was led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and included Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, Secretary of Transportation Jared W. Perdue, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, State Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky, and Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long. Representatives from several higher education institutions, including Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, New College of Florida, and the University of Florida, also participated.

During the mission, state officials attended the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, where DeSantis officially opened the Florida Pavilion.

While at the airshow, state leaders announced that aerospace manufacturing firm Relativity Space has committed to expanding its operations on Florida’s Space Coast. Additionally, Space Florida signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Space Agency to increase international space collaboration, and state officials announced the second cohort of five companies selected for the Space Florida and Seraphim Space Investment Readiness Program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Initial reports from companies exhibiting within the SelectFlorida section at the Farnborough Air Show indicated more than $300 million in direct sales.

“This mission to the United Kingdom has advanced Florida’s position as an international leader across key industries,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Florida and the United Kingdom have a longstanding and robust relationship—one that continues to build our aerospace and aviation, military and defense, transportation and logistics, and financial services industries.”

Commercial travel and infrastructure were central to the discussions. DeSantis announced that British Airways will temporarily add 18 flights between Orlando International Airport and London Heathrow from July 21 through August 29 to accommodate seasonal travel demand.

Advertisement

In Northern Ireland, Transportation Secretary Perdue and delegation members visited Belfast Harbour for meetings on maritime innovation and infrastructure. The visit followed the Florida Department of Transportation’s newly announced partnership with Eve Air Mobility to support testing and research for Advanced Air Mobility and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at FDOT’s SunTrax facility.

“The partnerships strengthened throughout the week will help advance emerging transportation technologies, expand economic opportunity through increased trade, and reinforce Florida’s leadership on the global stage,” Perdue said.

The mission also included several academic and financial sector agreements:

Academic Collaborations: The University of Florida signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of St. Andrews to promote joint scientific research. Florida International University established a Letter of Friendship with Heriot-Watt University at Panmure House in Edinburgh to support economic and philosophical studies.

Insurance and Finance: DeSantis and Insurance Commissioner Yaworsky met with leadership at Lloyd’s of London to explore research partnerships through the Lloyd’s Lab incubator, as well as holding discussions with London government officials regarding property insurance and climate resiliency testing.

Trade Working Groups: State agency heads met in London for the fifth UK-Florida MOU Working Group meeting to evaluate progress under the bilateral trade agreement established in 2023.

The trade delegation built upon a similar economic mission conducted by Florida officials to the United Kingdom in April 2023.

READ: Florida Executes James Duckett At Noon Ahead Of Scheduled Execution Of Dominick Occhicone

Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.

Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Florida Officials Wrap Up UK Trade Mission Focused On Aerospace, Transport, And Academics

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Money”