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Wichita State details MRO, credits state investment for industry partnerships and job growth
Summary
Wichita State’s aviation research director said a state investment in MRO helped scale university work in maintenance, repair and overhaul, supporting jobs, large research contracts and partnerships with military and industry customers.
Doctor John Tomlin of Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research spoke to the regents about the state’s multi‑year investments in aviation research and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities. Tomlin said the state provided $7,000,000 (distributed over five years) to grow MRO activities and that total state investment for the aviation industry is larger.
Tomlin described program growth since 2018 when the state and the university prioritized MRO development; he said Wichita State now supports more than 1,000 staff and students in MRO activities and highlighted examples of military repairs such as backbone work on legacy platforms. He said an industry‑university contract the school described as the largest in U.S. history (amount not disclosed) and other work demonstrates the commercial and defense demand for the state’s capacity.
On return metrics, Tomlin cited an illustrative program with an estimated 72:1 return on investment sent back to Kansas suppliers; he framed the investment as building a broad supply base and workforce capacity. Regents asked about manufacturing technologies and additive methods; Tomlin said some manufacturing skills, such as certain titanium welding processes, had eroded and are being redeveloped in the state supplier base.
Tomlin closed by saying the MRO focus allowed the university to pursue steady (including military) funding streams that deliver predictable work and workforce opportunities across Kansas. The committee offered thanks and moved forward with other agenda items.
