THUWAL, SAUDI ARABIA: – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), the global security and aerospace company, today signed its first international Master Research Agreement with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The two organizations have also announced their initial collaboration in the field of flexible electronics, which will include the integration of KAUST developed flexible solar cells on fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance their operational endurance and support applications across a variety of sectors.

The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding that was finalized by Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marillyn Hewson, on her visit to KAUST in November 2017, where she also serves on the Board of Trustees. Under the terms of the contract, Lockheed Martin and KAUST agreed to cooperate on various technology-focused projects that support Saudi Vision 2030.

“Innovation in technology and engineering is a key driver of Saudi Arabia’s sustained long-term growth. Lockheed Martin is proud to help play a defining role in promoting the Kingdom’s thriving R&D efforts as a committed partner to KAUST,” said Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Officer, Keoki Jackson. “It is only through hands-on collaboration that we will be able to discover innovative solutions to conquer existing challenges, and we are looking forward to working with Saudi talent as we realize a safer and more secure future.”

“One of the goals of this year-long project will be to design, develop, integrate and test flexible and innovative solar cells to optimize the endurance of small UAVs. These could be used in various applications including agricultural productivity, monitoring oceanic environments and more,” said KAUST Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, Jean Frechet.

Already KAUST researchers have had some success in developing electronics that are flexible, stretchable and reconfigurable to enable anyone, anywhere to be empowered by information, and have applications that can be use across various industries.

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About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin entered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the delivery of the first C-130 Hercules in 1965. Since then, the company has expanded its security portfolio in the Kingdom to include integrated air and missile defense systems, maritime and civilian applications, in addition to providing critical technical support and educational expertise to local industry partners.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy.

For additional information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com. 

About KAUST

Established in 2009, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is graduate research university devoted to finding solutions for some of the world’s most pressing scientific and technological challenges in the areas of food, water, energy and the environment. With 19 research areas related to these themes and state-of-the art labs, KAUST has created a collaborative and interdisciplinary problem- solving environment, which has resulted in over 11,000 published papers to date.

With over 100 different nationalities living, working and studying on campus, KAUST has brought together the best minds and ideas from around the world with the goal of advancing science and technology through distinctive and collaborative research. We are a catalyst for innovation, economic development and social prosperity in Saudi Arabia and the world.

For additional information, visit: www.kaust.edu.sa 

Media Contacts:

Kara Schoeffling, +971 2 304 2329; kara.e.schoeffling@lmco.com 

Michelle Ponto, +966 12 808 3234; michelle.ponto@kaust.edu.sa 

© Press Release 2018

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