An Alabama delegation, including five companies, is in Chile’s capital city for this week’s International Air and Space Fair, or FIDAE, seeking to develop business connections at South America’s foremost aerospace exposition.

The Alabama Department of Commerce is heading the trade mission delegation to Santiago and hosting a “Made in Alabama” exhibition booth for the state businesses to showcase their goods and services.

“FIDAE is the leading exhibition for aerospace, defense and security in Latin America, so it represents a great opportunity for these Alabama firms to explore potential new markets and partnerships,” said Christina Stimpson, director of Commerce’s Office of International Trade.

“Being able to exhibit in the ‘Made in Alabama’ booth gives them a chance to show off their innovative capabilities and technologies, while also highlighting why Alabama is home to hundreds of aerospace, aviation and defense-related companies,” Stimpson added.

The 23rd edition of FIDAE gets underway today and runs through Sunday on the north side of the Santiago International Airport, Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez.

The exhibition focuses homeland security, aerospace technology, drones, cybersecurity, commercial aircraft and defense.

More than 400 firms from around the world are scheduled to be on hand at FIDAE 2024, including prestigious international companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Lockheed Martin.

While in Santiago, the Alabama delegation will attend a reception at the U.S. Embassy, engage in one-on-one meetings and take advantage of networking opportunities, among other activities.

Growth potential

Bob Smith, Commerce’s point man on aerospace, said the industry is growing at a fast clip in the region.

“Latin American aviation is estimated to see a 5% annual growth rate over the next decade, making it among the fastest growing regions in the world. Outside China and India, growth in Latin America is where a lot of new aviation activity is being created,” Smith said.

“Our aerospace and defense companies can be great assets and partners to a young, burgeoning sector that has gaps in capabilities that our companies could fill,” he added. “There are numerous companies attending FIDAE that we are scheduled to network with and explore opportunities for Alabama’s aero sector.”

Cummings Aerospace is among the Alabama participants at FIDAE this week. (Made in Alabama)

The 2022 edition of FIDAE attracted 420 exhibitors and 260 official delegations, which were involved in 2,700 scheduled meetings, according to Kallman Worldwide, the organizer of the U.S. Pavilion at the trade event. More than 73,000 people attended the air show that year.

Other states joining Alabama in the U.S. Pavilion at FIDAE 2024 include Mississippi, North Carolina, Arizona and California.

Alabama team

The companies participating in the trade mission as part of the Alabama delegation represent a wide range of the capabilities within the state’s robust aerospace/defense sector, including:

• Cummings Aerospace, a Huntsville defense and aerospace systems engineering firm that specializes in model-based engineering, modeling and simulation, and other technologies.
• H2L Solutions, a Huntsville-based provider of a wide range of cybersecurity services, including penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, cybersecurity training and compliance audits.
• J.S. Solutions LLC, a Huntsville firm that offers professional staffing, integrated logistics support, technical and engineering services, and consulting services to a diverse group of clients, including federal government agencies, defense contractors and commercial organizations.
• PTS Expeditionary Communications, a Huntsville company that offers specialized products that offer expeditionary communication solutions.
• Star Cooperation USA Inc., the U.S. unit of Germany-based Star Cooperation Group, which assists companies of all sizes from a wide range of industries in planning, developing and implementing projects.

Cummings Aerospace and PTS Expeditionary Communications took part in a Commerce-led trade mission to Melbourne, Australia for last February’s Avalon 2023, the largest aviation, aerospace and defense exposition staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

At that show, Cummings announced plans to team with Australia’s Criterion Solutions to develop defense technology produced and distributed in Australia.

The Alabama small businesses participating in the FIDAE 2023 trade mission are utilizing a federal grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to offset their expenses. Learn more about the Alabama State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Grant.

This story originally appeared on the Made in Alabama website.