The Boeing Co. is moving its corporate headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia, where the current operations support various corporate functions and specialize in advanced airplane development and autonomous systems. Boeing also plans to develop a research-and-technology hub in the area, to attract engineering and technical talent.
“The (DC) region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent," stated Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun.
Boeing was long centered in Seattle, Wash., but relocated the headquarters to Chicago in 2001.
The company's three business units will continue to maintain individual headquarters: Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle; Boeing Global Services in Plano, Tex.; and Boeing Defense, Space and Security in Arlington, Va.
The corporation noted that it has implemented “flexible and virtual solutions” over the past two years that have reduced its office space needs, and Calhoun promised that in future Boeing will direct investments to “critical manufacturing and engineering facilities and training resources.”
The planned R&D hub in northern Virginia will focus on cyber security, autonomous operations, quantum sciences and software and systems engineering.
"The future of Boeing is digital," according to Greg Hyslop, Boeing's chief engineer and executive vice president of Engineering, Test and Technology. "Focusing our R&D and talent development in areas that support digital innovation will fuel the introduction of cutting-edge capabilities."
