A research consortium led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lockheed Martin, a leading global security and aerospace company, have finalized an agreement for indirect industrial cooperation. Other members of the consortium are Patria, a defense and technology company, Harp Technologies, a Finnish SME active in space, defense, and remote sensing technologies, and two leading, innovative Finnish universities, the Aalto University and the University of Tampere.

Finland is a leading nation in digital technologies. 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. The project will, e.g., 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.

The project is expected to last three years. Lockheed Martin and VTT are also looking to sign another framework agreement for a second project focusing on millimeter-wave passive imaging radiometer development during 2023, with the work aiming to start in 2024.