ROSEMOUNT, Minn., Jan. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St. Paul-based North Wind is investing $1.1 billion to build a new, state-of-the-art aerospace and hypersonic research and testing complex in Rosemount—the nation’s most advanced aerospace research and development testing facility. The project is a major public-private partnership and investment in Minnesota’s innovation economy while significantly expanding the nation’s limited capacity for advanced high-speed aerospace testing.
The Minnesota Aerospace Complex will serve commercial and government customers nationwide, providing independent, high-fidelity ground testing across a full spectrum of flight: subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic. Designed to support the development of next-generation aircraft, propulsion systems, sensors, and aerospace technologies, the complex fills a critical national infrastructure gap while anchoring this rare capability in Minnesota.
Developed and operated by North Wind, the complex builds on the company’s deep Minnesota roots and international reputation for technical excellence. North Wind is a nationally recognized aerospace engineering firm whose clients include NASA, major aerospace companies, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Once operational, the facility will position Minnesota as a hub for advanced aerospace research, development, and testing within a national and global innovation network.
“The North Wind investment will be the foundation of a new high-tech industry in Minnesota. This project is a step toward realizing our vision for our next economy, which creates inclusive opportunity for Minnesotans by solving the hardest, most important challenges for the nation and the world,” said Peter Frosch, President and CEO of GREATER MSP. “This investment helps renew Minnesota’s national leadership in cutting-edge technology and positions our region as a place where the future will be made.”
The capabilities the Aerospace Complex delivers directly align with the Greater MSP region’s economic development strategy, which is focused on building the next economy by scaling innovation in key sectors that build on Minnesota’s legacy industry strengths—including food and agriculture, health and life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. These industries have long defined Minnesota’s economy and share a common foundation of precision engineering, advanced materials, data-driven design, and rigorous testing and validation.
A defining element of the Aerospace Complex is its partnership with the University of Minnesota, including colocation of the University’s Computational Hypersonics Research Laboratory. This collaboration creates a powerful platform for discovery, commercialization, and workforce development, and will result in significant advances in the field of hypersonic flight.
By establishing capabilities unmatched anywhere else in the nation, the Aerospace Complex positions Minnesota as a hub within a national and global innovation network. It strengthens the state’s ability to attract federal research funding, private-sector investment, and top engineering talent, while accelerating technology transfer across sectors. As part of a broader innovation ecosystem, the complex enhances Minnesota’s competitiveness in industries that depend on speed, precision, and technical excellence.
The economic impact of the project will be both immediate and long-lasting. The multi-year construction phases will support hundreds of construction jobs, while full operations will create dozens of permanent, high-paying, high-tech positions for engineers, technicians, operators, and data specialists. These roles anchor durable career pathways and help ensure that Minnesota’s best and brightest students and professionals can build their futures at home.
“This is a big win for Minnesota—and big wins take time and a broad team to deliver,” Frosch said. “This investment will lead to the creation of hundreds of high-quality jobs, attract unprecedented levels of federal research investment, serve as a training ground for Minnesota students, and establish an entirely new high-tech industry for our state. It’s another clear signal that Minnesota is shaping the future at the frontier of innovation.”
The Aerospace Complex also represents a significant land redevelopment transformation for the region. The project will kickstart environmental cleanup and redevelopment of a long-idle, contaminated 60-acre site at UMore Park, converting it into a productive, high-value innovation asset. This redevelopment expands the tax base for the City of Rosemount and Dakota County while generating sustained economic activity for the region over decades.
From a statewide and national perspective, the Aerospace Complex strengthens U.S. leadership in advanced aerospace and hypersonic research. The U.S. Department of Defense, through its Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering and the Test Resource Management Center, is a primary sponsor of the complex. The facility will test components, models, sensors, and engines, providing independent data that supports both commercial aerospace advancement and national defense readiness. With this new asset operating in the state, Minnesota will begin to shape the future of flight.
About the GREATER MSP Partnership
GREATER MSP is the economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis–Saint Paul region. GREATER MSP is a coalition of more than 4,500 individuals from more than 300 leading businesses, universities, cities, counties and philanthropic organizations working together to accelerate competitiveness and inclusive economic growth of the 15-county Minneapolis–Saint Paul region while leading the nation in tackling the most difficult challenges of the new economy.
Media contacts:
GREATER MSP: Don Ball, (612) 810-3153, don.ball@greatermsp.org
