Era IV · Now & Next
The Fourth Era
The threads of a century of innovation (speed, flight, endurance, and aerospace) are coming together into the technologies that will define the next fifty years. Daytona is where they meet.
Extending a Proven Lineage
The first three eras gave Daytona something most aspiring innovation cities can't buy: credibility. A century of proving that this is where you bring engineering that has to work. Where systems are pushed to limits and either hold or break.
Now that heritage comes together. The aerodynamics expertise from motorsports meets the propulsion research from aerospace. The telemetry and data systems from racing meet the autonomous navigation from defense. The endurance engineering from 24-hour races meets the reliability requirements of eVTOL aircraft. Companies like VerdeGo Aero, Censys Technologies, and AURA AERO are proving it right now.
The Fourth Era isn't a departure from Daytona's history. It's the natural next chapter of what this region has always done: applied performance innovation at the edge of what's possible.
Where the Lineage Extends
These aren't random technology bets. Each domain draws directly from capabilities Daytona has built over a century.
eVTOL & Advanced Air Mobility
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are the next frontier of aviation. VerdeGo Aero is developing hybrid-electric propulsion systems here with U.S. Air Force and NASA contracts. AURA AERO chose Embry-Riddle Research Park for its U.S. headquarters and is building a 500,000 sq ft production facility at Daytona Beach International Airport.
Innovation Heritage
Draws from: Aviation (Era III) + Propulsion (Era III) + Aerodynamics (Era II)
Autonomous Systems
From UAVs to autonomous ground vehicles, Daytona has the testing infrastructure, sensor expertise, and engineering culture to develop and validate autonomous platforms. Censys Technologies is building advanced UAV platforms for defense and commercial use right here in Daytona Beach.
Innovation Heritage
Draws from: Telemetry (Era II) + Systems Engineering (Era III) + Simulation (Era II)
Advanced Propulsion
Hybrid-electric propulsion, hydrogen fuel systems, and next-generation engine architectures. VerdeGo Aero is already testing production-ready hybrid powerplants here. Daytona's century of pushing propulsion limits provides the engineering DNA and testing culture these technologies need.
Innovation Heritage
Draws from: Engine Efficiency (Era II) + Aerospace Research (Era III) + Speed Testing (Era I)
High-Performance Coastal Resilience
Daytona sits on the Atlantic. As climate risk rises, coastal resilience becomes a strategic innovation category, not a nice-to-have. Marine robotics, sensor networks, storm modeling, and infrastructure resilience draw on the same engineering rigor that built the first three eras.
Innovation Heritage
Draws from: Materials Science (Era II) + Systems Engineering (Era III) + Applied Testing (Era I)
Human-Machine Systems
The interface between human operators and high-performance machines: from cockpits to race cars to autonomous system control stations. Embry-Riddle's human factors research and motorsports' driver-machine optimization meet in this critical domain.
Innovation Heritage
Draws from: Driver Engineering (Era II) + Human Factors (Era III) + Safety Systems (Era II)
A century of innovation, four eras deep
Each era built on the last. Together they form a lineage no other city can claim.
Era I
The Beach Era
1900s–1950s
Land speed records. Automotive experimentation.
Era II
The Speedway Era
1948–Present
Institutional motorsports engineering.
Era III
The Aerospace Era
1926–Present
Embry-Riddle. Aviation. Propulsion. Space.
Era IV
The Fourth Era
Now & Next
Autonomous. eVTOL. Propulsion. Resilience.
= Applied Performance Innovation
Why the Fourth Era belongs in Daytona
VerdeGo Aero builds hybrid-electric propulsion for the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Censys Technologies builds autonomous UAV platforms for defense. AURA AERO is manufacturing electric aircraft at Embry-Riddle Research Park. These are engineering companies that need testing infrastructure, aerospace talent, and a culture that values proof over pitch decks.
That's exactly what Daytona has built over four eras. And it's exactly what the Fourth Era demands.
A Century of Proof. A Future Without Limits.
Four eras. Named pioneers. Real institutions. A performance engineering hub that's been building for a century. Join us in writing the next chapter.
The Through-Line
“Daytona is a performance engineering hub.”
This story is stronger than most cities realize.