Farnborough 2026: A Strong Showing for South Carolina
By: Stephen Astemborski, Director of Engagement & Aerospace Initiatives, SC Competes
I’ve been to international airshows a number of times, and one thing that has been great to see is how South Carolina’s presence has grown each year. This summer was our largest delegation yet, with eight companies, three economic development organizations, one aviation business park and one university research center joining us as the South Carolina state delegation led by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
Having that kind of representation at Farnborough matters. It gives us more opportunities to make connections and talk about what’s happening in South Carolina, while also showing just how much our aerospace industry has grown.
There was plenty of momentum around the commercial aerospace industry at the show this year, including some good news for South Carolina. Boeing announced a record level of new 787 orders during the week, including 28 for Riyadh Air, 15 each for AerCap and Philippine Airlines, and four for Uganda Air. With every 787 completing final assembly in North Charleston, it was exciting to see that level of demand for an aircraft with such a strong connection to our state.
Beyond the announcements, Farnborough also gave us the opportunity to sit down with companies that already have operations in South Carolina and international companies considering U.S. investment. Those meetings gave us a closer look at what companies are thinking about, where they see opportunities for growth and how South Carolina fits into those plans. A few themes stood out across those conversations.
Research was a big part of the conversation.
In our meetings with existing South Carolina company leadership, we heard a lot of interest in research and development. In particular, companies wanted to talk about how they could grow their research footprint here and work more closely with the University of South Carolina McNair Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research.
That’s an area where I think South Carolina has a real opportunity. We’ve built a strong aerospace manufacturing base over the years, but there’s no reason our role in the industry should stop there. If we can help companies do more of their research and development here as well, we’re not only bringing more of that work and high tech workforce into the state, we’re giving those companies another reason to continue investing and growing here. SC Competes has multiple tools to help companies innovate, including the SC Fraunhofer USA Alliance, which is an applied research funding initiative that we manage in partnership with the SC Department of Commerce and Fraunhofer USA. With the global expertise of Fraunhofer USA coupled with the research talent from our SC colleges and universities, the Alliance has brought a measurable return on investment for South Carolina companies.
Companies are thinking about what comes next.
What stood out in our conversations with existing companies was that many aren’t just thinking about growing in South Carolina — they’re thinking about how their operations here can evolve. That could mean a larger facility or additional investment, but it could also mean taking on different kinds of work, including opportunities in defense. These conversations offer me even more encouragement as we officially launched the SC Defense industry cluster in March 2026.
There’s a lot of value in seeing companies continue to find new opportunities here after their initial investment. They already know South Carolina and understand what the state has to offer, and many are looking at how they can build on the operations they’ve established. The conversations at Farnborough reinforced that growth doesn’t always mean doing more of the same, it can also mean bringing new capabilities, new work, and new investment to the state.
South Carolina’s workforce came up in a way that caught my attention.
One of the more interesting things we heard throughout the week was how companies are thinking about the workforce when they look at South Carolina. Many companies are struggling to find the people they need in other parts of the country. They look at South Carolina’s growing population, stand out workforce training programs, and reputation of collaboration, and see the potential to build a workforce here as they grow. Like most states, we still have workforce challenges to address, but hearing that perspective was a good reminder that our population growth coupled with existing talent is a real competitive advantage.
When I think back on the week, that’s probably what stands out most. Companies aren’t interested in South Carolina for just one reason. They’re looking at our existing aerospace bases, our research capabilities, opportunities in defense, access to major OEMs and the ability to build a workforce over the long term.
Farnborough gives us an opportunity to promote South Carolina, but it’s just as valuable as an opportunity to listen. This year, we heard from companies that are thinking seriously about how they can do more here. The next step is continuing those conversations back home and figuring out how we help make that growth happen.
