Colorado Springs Launches Community Marketing Campaign to Demonstrate the Region’s Investment Potential and Attract Investors, Workforce Talent
The Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation (Chamber & EDC) today launched the “Take off in Colorado Springs” community marketing campaign to showcase the underlying potential in Colorado Springs aerospace and defense and cybersecurity sectors, leveraging the Space Symposium’s global audience and spotlight to position the Pikes Peak region for investment and attract future workforce talent.
“Colorado Springs is a center of gravity for space, defense, and cybersecurity. Companies choose to expand into our region because of our unparalleled concentration of cutting-edge technology, highly skilled talent pipeline, and the region’s collaborative ecosystem that drives growth and innovation,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President & CEO of Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. “In addition, Colorado Springs has some of the nation’s best outdoor recreation facilities and entertainment amenities making it a top place for workforce talent.”
The “Take off in Colorado Springs” marketing campaign is underway as the city welcomes over 12,000 delegates from more than 40 countries for the 39th Space Symposium, a premier event for global space professionals, to deliberate and share ideas on space exploration and help define the future of space. The “Take Off in Colorado Springs” campaign includes outdoor banner displays along Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue, illustrating astronauts engaging in fun activities including dining, cycling, skating, and camping, aligning with the space theme. Digital displays are strategically positioned at the Colorado Springs Airport and Interstate 25 (close to Denver), to greet travelers as they arrive and depart the city. The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC has also activated a social media marketing campaign with investment-driven messaging, showcasing the potential of diverse regional sectors.
Housed in the state with the second-largest space economy in the nation, Colorado Springs has positioned itself as a global investment powerhouse, attracting investors from across the world. Since 2022, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC has announced 21 economic development projects bringing more than 4,000 jobs and over $2 billion in capital investment to the region.
The announcement of Colorado Springs as the permanent home of the U.S. Space Command elevated the region, making it attractive to investors, visitors, and potential workforce talent. Last year, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC announced business expansion by defense industry startup Nooks, which acquired rights to a 60,000-square-foot facility in Colorado Springs to provide secure space to industry and government partners. Entegris, a global supplier of advanced materials and processes for semiconductors, life sciences, and other high-tech industries, broke ground on its 88-acre manufacturing center of excellence, projected to create 600 new jobs. Early this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Microchip $162 million in federal incentives under the Chips and Science Act to support the onshoring of the company’s supply chain and enable increased production of microcontroller units (MCUs) and other mature-node semiconductors critical to America’s defense, aerospace, automotive, industrial, and commercial, industries. Of this, $90 million was allocated for the modernization and expansion of Microchip’s fabrication facility in Colorado Springs, a move projected to create 400 well-paying jobs at an annual average of $75,000, which is 118% of the average annual wage in El Paso County. Infinity Systems Engineering, Intuitive, and Boecore (now Auria) have also announced expansions, strengthening Colorado Springs’ manufacturing, cybersecurity, and space and defense economies.
Bill Shaner, president of Entegris’ Advanced Materials Handing division said, “We are pleased to have found an innovative and competitive home in Colorado Springs for our new state-of-the-art manufacturing center of excellence where we will develop products critical to the semiconductor industry. Our new facility builds on our 30-year history in the region and will facilitate the growth of the semiconductor industry in the United States and help establish Colorado as a major technology hub for the advancement of semiconductor manufacturing nationwide.”
These business expansions are an example of an economy and a flourishing space sector. According to JobsEQ, an economic, labor, and demographic data analysis platform, Colorado Springs’ aerospace and defense industry is projected to grow by 10.8% by 2027. The industry’s commercial sector contributed $2.7 billion to the local economy in 2022 and employed over 18,000 workers who support more than 150 aerospace and defense companies in the region. The strength and resilience of the space and defense industry are attributed to the economic diversity of the Pikes Peak region, where emerging industries including advanced manufacturing and semiconductor technology, medical equipment and supplies manufacturing, hardware and springs manufacturing, and finance and insurance, help the region cushion itself against economic downturns. Colorado Springs aerospace and defense companies also enjoy a collaborative community of innovators, cutting-edge technology, and access to one of the nation’s highly skilled workforce pools, churned out by the region’s world-renowned institutions of higher learning, such as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, designated as the space education consortium’s lead university to educate the nation’s future aerospace workers.
Home to five military installations, Colorado Springs has created an environment that fosters business growth, technological innovation, and market access. Incubators and accelerators such as Exponential Impact and Catalyst Campus provide resources that drive the growth of entrepreneurial startup companies and early startup technology research projects, influencing competitiveness in aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, and manufacturing.
On the marketing and tourism scene, the Colorado Springs Airport’s $3-million multi-year renovation and non-stop flight service to major cities in the United States has created efficiency and convenience for the business traveler. Denver International Airport has opened the region to the world market, providing 28 non-stop flights to major international markets, boosting trade and tourism. This sector posted a projected $2.6 billion in local travel spending in 2021, as reported by VisitCOS.
The “Take Off in Colorado Springs” campaign is operating on the principle that Colorado Springs is a city that has earned its place on the global stage as an epicenter for space technology and innovation, a prime investment destination, and a place where the world’s space talent comes to innovate, connect, and prosper.
Learn more about the campaign by visiting https://coloradospringschamberedc.com/orbit/ which features the region’s investment potential and information on the city’s entrepreneurial capabilities, incentives, and overall business climate.