REGENT, a US startup working on the development of a 12-passenger seaglider, a novel form of wing-in-ground vehicle, has broken ground on its new greenfield production facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
This 255,000 sq ft factory will house the production of several key components for the seaglider, as well as the vehicle’s final assembly line and the pre-delivery testing facilities.
The facility, which will become operational in 2026, will employ 300 people, with the potential for this figure to rise to up to 750 within a period of 10 years.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Governor of Rhode Island, Dan McKee, as well as members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a statement REGENT explained that it had selected the state of Rhode Island as its base in great part due to the access it provides to a coastal testing environment as well as the local naval construction and composites production ecosystem and qualified staff.
The startup has also been supported by several economic development programs. The Rhode Island Commerce Department allocated $1 million under the First Wave Closing Fund Act, and the state of Rhode Island has committed another $3 million under the Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit Act. If REGENT’s industrial plans materialize according to plan, the company may qualify for an additional $13 million under Rhode Island’s Qualified Jobs Program.
REGENT’s new factory will produce the 12-seater “Viceroy” Seaglider, which is the smallest of the vehicles being designed by the firm. Regent is also working on a much larger seaglider concept called “Monarch”, which could carry between 80 and 100 passengers.
As of January 2025, Regent claims to have some $9 billion of pre-orders from several operators and leasing companies from around the world. Due to the hybrid sea-air nature of the wing-in-ground technology, REGENT seagliders have caught the attention of shipping companies, several prominent airlines, including Japana Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as the US Marine Corps.
