Helsinki—A research consortium led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lockheed Martin Corp. have finalized a frame agreement for indirect industrial cooperation. Other members of the consortium are defense and technology company Patria, Harp Technologies, a Finnish SME active in space, defense and remote sensing technologies, and two Finnish universities: Aalto University and the University of Tampere.
Finland is a leading nation of digital technologies, VTT says. The state-owned VTT, founded more than 80 years ago during World War II to develop the most advanced technologies and products in the world, has previously developed ground-breaking satellite signal technology for the European Space Agency (ESA), resulting in the world's first 75 GHz signals that could ease clutter on the radio waves in the future.
"The purpose of the project is to combine the expertise and technological strengths of different parties, creating highly developed solutions and advanced new expertise that can be applied to the needs of the international defense industry, and to the products of next-generation electronic reconnaissance," says Sauli Eloranta, vice president of Safe and Connected Society Research Area at VTT.
For Finland, the project will also help strengthen the security of supply concerning the country's own technological expertise and talent, VTT says. The project will help draw new students to study and work with the subject of digital defense technologies, creating a pathway for the new professionals to join both national and international defense industry companies over time.
Through indirect industrial cooperation initiatives, Lockheed Martin will build and benefit from industry partnerships with Finnish companies, universities and colleges, offering opportunities and new avenues to develop and strengthen the cooperation far into the future.
"The cooperation is a significant step for VTT and Finland at large. We are very keen on assessing additional future cooperation opportunities with Lockheed Martin. The technology cooperation offers us an opportunity to continue to develop our strong expertise in defense technologies and to increase cooperation with other defense industry actors," concludes Eloranta.
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