Lockheed Martin/ PR Newswire
MSU Denver Lockheed Martin
MSU Denver students like Rubi Solis (right) will benefit from Lockheed Martin’s $1 million grant to harness new manufacturing technology for space programs. Rubi will soon join former MSU Denver co-ops like Driss Aba (left) as a full-time employee working at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver.
Global aerospace company, Lockheed Martin has pledged a $1 million grant for the development of an on-campus additive manufacturing facility in the company’s name at Metropolitan State University (MSU) of Denver.
The Lockheed Martin Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, the first of its kind in the state of Colorado, was announced during the inauguration of the school’s new Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building at the end of last month. It will provide a platform for students to use the latest 3D printing technology to design and create components suitable for aerospace applications.
Lockheed Martin will inject the finances in instalments over the next four years. The grant will also be used to appoint a specialist director of the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute.
This Lockheed Martin backing of the Metropolitan State Uni comes after a long-standing partnership between the two organisations. Since its foundation, their partnership has been focused on developing manufacturing technologies, as well as talent. The aerospace company helped develop the curriculum that grew to become the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences bachelor’s degree, and will now aid in the introduction of the latest technology for students on the course.
“This grant is an investment in the futures of the students at MSU Denver and the aerospace community,” said Brian O’Connor, vice president of Production Operations at Lockheed Martin Space Systems. “Emerging manufacturing technologies will create possibilities we can only dream of today, like printing an entire satellite from the ground up or printing complex parts that we can’t machine using traditional methods. We’re helping students design with those new concepts in mind so the next space missions are innovative, affordable and faster to market. This lab will help students unleash their creativity in engineering tomorrow’s great advancements.”
Stephen M. Jordan, PH.D., MSU Denver President added: “With support from key partners like Lockheed Martin, MSU Denver can offer students education opportunities that directly address workforce needs in Colorado’s key industries clusters. Students now have the rare opportunity to work with technology and equipment used by some of the top advanced manufacturing companies in the world.”
