Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global security company that is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
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Interview:
Q: In which Countries does your organization have a presence?
Lockheed Martin has more than 3,000 programs in the United States and worldwide, in about 75 countries.
Q: How many employees do you have?
Lockheed Martin’s employment currently is about 140,000.
Q: Please provide a short paragraph outlining the history of your organization.
Lockheed Martin Corporation was formed in March 1995 with the merger of two of the world’s premier technology companies, Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation. In 1996, Lockheed Martin completed its strategic combination with the defense electronics and systems integration businesses of Loral.
Lockheed Martin traces its roots back to the early days of flight. In 1909 aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin organized a company around a modest airplane construction business and built it into a major airframe supplier to U.S. military and commercial customers. Martin Marietta was established in 1961 when the Glenn L. Martin Company merged with American-Marietta Corp., a leading supplier of building and road construction materials. In 1913, Allan and Malcolm Loughead (name later changed to Lockheed) flew the first Lockheed plane over San Francisco Bay. The modern Lockheed Corporation was formed in 1932 after the fledgling airplane company was reorganized.
The former Loral Corporation was founded in 1948 in New York City by William Lorenz and Leon Alpert as a small defense electronics firm that over the years grew into a multi-billion dollar firm. In sum, the new Lockheed Martin Corporation comprises all or portions of 17 heritage companies.
Q: Explain the role of nanotechnology in the development of your organization or department.
Lockheed Martin has had a corporate focus on nanotechnology for the past 7 years which has helped shape the development of nanotechnology applications in all of its four Business Areas. This focus has also influenced the company’s collaborations with external organizations including universities, government laboratories and other companies.
Q: What key markets do you serve?
Lockheed Martin focuses on profitability and growth in the following markets:
- Defense and Intelligence
- Homeland Security
- Systems and Information Technology
Q: How has nanotechnology impacted the products or services you provide?
Nanotechnology is one of 15 strategic technology threads in Lockheed Martin which focus on technologies that enable strategic growth. Nanotechnology promises to revolutionize the systems and services Lockheed Martin delivers to its government customers. For example, ultra-strong, lightweight materials, smaller and cheaper components, improved sensors, and more powerful energetics are anticipated from the application of nanotechnologies to our products.
Q: Has your organization made any significant contributions to nanotechnology?
Lockheed Martin is working to advance the state of nanotechnologies in a few key areas, all of which are company proprietary at this time.
Q: Briefly describe a current project involving nanotechnology, and what your anticipated outcome will be (new process, new product, etc.)
There is an on-going corporate funded project to develop ultra light weight structures. This project includes the development of processes for growing carbon nanotubes and testing new substrates and materials. The expected outcome is higher performance, lighter weight, and lower cost materials for many of our subsystems.
Q: Where do you see nanotechnology applications leading in the future?
With the increased funding for nanotechnologies in the U.S. and globally, it is expected that nanotechnologies will continue to expand in current and new markets. In Lockheed Martin, it is expected that nanotechnologies will influence the majority of our products in the future.
Q: What advice would you offer to someone who wanted to work at your organization in 3-5 years?
Nanotechnologies span many scientific disciplines. It would be helpful to get a good background in all of the major sciences, e.g., chemistry, physics, and biology. Also, following the literature in nanotechnologies would not only be interesting to do, but it would also broaden a person’s knowledge of nanotechnologies as they continue to develop.
Q: What industry do you think has been impacted the most by nanotechnology thus far? Why?
The cosmetic and sporting good industries have been influenced by nanotechnologies. The materials used in these applications are fairly easy to manufacture and scale-up leading to early market successes. Very thin films of nanomaterials have also seen early successes, e.g., in coatings for windows and glasses. All of these applications are passive systems and therefore much less complex than many other nanotechnology applications.
Q: What industry do you think has the greatest future potential to be impacted by nanotechnology? Why?
The medical industry stands to benefit greatly from nanotechnologies. There is already evidence that nanomaterials can be used to fight cancer. Very specific areas of the body can be targeted with the nanomaterials making these kinds of materials ideal for future medical treatments. The energy industry is also expected to benefit greatly from nanotechnologies.
