Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, has been awarded a $9.8 million California Competes grant by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to support the Company’s continued statewide expansion.
The $9.8 million grant will assist in financing a significant expansion of Joby’s facilities in Marina, California — supporting higher manufacturing volumes and initial training for pilots and aircraft maintainers — as well as continued hiring at the Company’s other offices located in San Carlos and Santa Cruz, California. As part of the agreement, Joby has committed to invest $41.3 million and create 690 additional full-time jobs in the state by 2027.
The CalCompetes grant enables Joby to accelerate early manufacturing in California to support the Company’s ongoing type certification program with the Federal Aviation Administration as well as for initial commercial operations, expected to begin in 2025.
“We’re honored to receive a prestigious CalCompetes grant from our home state of California to support pilot training and the growth of our manufacturing facilities in advance of early operations. Joby was founded in 2009, today employs more than 1,250 people across the state, and we’re thrilled to be able to keep growing in California as we deliver revolutionary emissions-free flight,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
The grant will also help expand Joby’s existing apprenticeship program, which offers new career opportunities for Salinas Valley residents, starting with paid on-the-job training at Joby’s Marina manufacturing facility. Originally established in partnership with the Monterey Bay Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative with funding from the James Irvine Foundation, Joby has hired more than 30 composite fabrication, aircraft assembly, and equipment maintenance technicians through the program to date.
California Senator Anna Caballero commented, “This grant to Joby for their planned manufacturing expansion in Marina, California affirms California’s commitment to build the future of advanced air mobility through a partnership with government, community, and industry, which I like to describe as the Marina Way. The Marina Way can be a model for how we solve climate, housing, and transportation challenges. The passage of my legislation, SB800, will lay out the regulatory framework for Advanced Air Mobility. I am glad to see that Advanced Air Mobility will take flight by 2025.”
Bruce Delgado, Mayor of Marina, stated, “Marina is excited that, with this CalCompetes grant, Joby will be able to expand their production capabilities at our Marina Municipal Airport, creating hundreds of new, local jobs. The funding will also support Joby in expanding their research and development hub here in Marina and continue their success as a leader in the eVTOL industry.”
Maria Elena Manzo, Project Director of Mujeres en Acción, commented, “We are the solutions to each other's problems. Joby has high-road jobs and we have an eager, able and hardworking community ready to contribute to, and benefit from, Joby's success. This is a real partnership, a model of inclusive economic development done with the community, not for the community. We are learning together and ready to do more.”
While Joby plans to manufacture aircraft in support of initial operations from its California-based facilities, the Company announced in September it will locate its first scaled manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. Joby plans to build a facility in Dayton capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year, supporting up to 2,000 clean manufacturing jobs.
Earlier this month, Joby performed its first exhibition flights outside of California, becoming the first company to fly an electric air taxi in New York City, as part of an event held by the city’s leadership announcing their intent to electrify the iconic Downtown Manhattan Heliport to enable clean, quiet air travel.