Our Story
A Century of Proven Innovation
Now All Coming Together
Speed records on the sand. World-class aerospace research. Endurance engineering at the highest level. Daytona has always been an innovation city. Daytona Innovation brings it all together and connects it to Cambridge, the Research Triangle, and Austin.
Daytona has always been an innovation city
It has deep innovation DNA. A century of speed, flight, and engineering under extreme conditions. Most cities would give anything for this foundation.
This is a place where innovation is applied. Tested. Put under stress until it works or breaks. That's Daytona.
Daytona is a performance engineering hub.
From Sand to Space
Daytona's innovation heritage unfolds across four distinct eras. Each one built on the last. Together, they form a lineage no other city can claim.
The Beach Era
Ransom Olds, Sir Henry Segrave, and Sir Malcolm Campbell used Daytona Beach as the world's proving ground for speed. The hard-packed sand wasn't a race venue. It was a laboratory for applied physics under real-world stress.
Key figures: Ransom Olds, Sir Henry Segrave, Sir Malcolm Campbell
Explore this eraThe Speedway Era
Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR and built Daytona International Speedway, formalizing racing as structured competition and engineering innovation. The 24 Hours of Daytona became a global endurance benchmark, driving breakthroughs in materials, telemetry, and safety.
Key figures: Bill France Sr., NASCAR, IMSA, DIS
Explore this eraThe Aerospace Era
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was founded in 1926 and is now one of the most respected aerospace universities globally. It anchors a talent pipeline of engineers, pilots, and researchers. Thousands of NASA contributors and defense leaders came through Daytona.
Key figures: Embry-Riddle, Kennedy Space Center corridor
Explore this eraThe Fourth Era
eVTOL. Autonomous systems. Advanced propulsion. High-performance coastal resilience. Human-machine systems. The threads that ran separately for a century are coming together, and Daytona is where they meet.
Key figures: Censys Technologies, VerdeGo Aero, AURA AERO, and what comes next
Explore this eraExtending a Legendary Lineage
Three eras of speed, motorsports, and aerospace have given Daytona something most aspiring innovation cities can't buy: credibility. Real people. Real institutions. Real engineering breakthroughs that shaped the world.
The fourth era extends into the domains that matter next: eVTOL aircraft, autonomous systems, advanced propulsion, coastal resilience, and human-machine systems. The natural next chapter of what Daytona has always done. Daytona Innovation is where it comes together.
The Key Industry Players
These are engineering companies. High-performance systems companies.
All of This. One Platform.
Aviation. Racing. Aerospace. Coastal engineering. Defense. Manufacturing. Each one thriving in Daytona. Each one world-class on its own.
Daytona Innovation is the platform that brings them all together. Connecting Embry-Riddle's aerospace talent with motorsports engineers. Linking autonomous systems startups with coastal researchers. Creating the collaborations that turn heritage into the future.
The combination is what matters. And that combination only exists here.
Aviation & Aerospace
Flight training, research labs, propulsion systems, NASA alumni
Motorsports Engineering
Materials science, aerodynamics, telemetry, endurance systems, IMSA
Defense & Space
Launch systems, autonomous platforms, systems engineering
Coastal & Marine
Resilience tech, blue innovation, marine robotics
Fabrication & Manufacturing
Composite shops, precision machining, aerospace suppliers
Education
Talent pipeline from 4+ universities, applied research, entrepreneurship
Bridging Daytona to Global Hubs
Daytona Innovation exists to build on this foundation. Connect Embry-Riddle students with companies like VerdeGo Aero and AURA AERO. Link motorsports engineers with autonomous systems builders like Censys Technologies. Bridge coastal researchers with climate resilience ventures. And connect all of it to Cambridge, the Research Triangle, Austin, and beyond.
A place where innovation is tested, stressed, and proven.
Daytona Innovation is the bridge between a century of proof and what comes next.
Explore each era in depth
Four eras. Named pioneers. Real institutions. The full lineage of Daytona's innovation heritage.