Defense Roundtable Held at Lockheed Martin
SIXTH ANNUAL “DEFENSE INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE” HELD AT LOCKHEED
Minneapolis, 28 September 2009 – The Defense Alliance held its annual “Defense Industry Roundtable” on Monday at Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems in Eagan, Minnesota. 225 people representing more than 200 defense-oriented businesses and organizations attended the morning event. The program was centered around the need for better collaboration among business, academia and government to enhance the region’s technology transfer and technology-based economic development efforts.
The event’s panels were: “Communicating with Legislators: Why and How?”; and “Collaboration for New Business: The Primes and More.” The panels included representation by a government affairs firm (GSP Consulting), Minnesota senators’ staffs, a state senator (Senator Kathy Saltzman, Co-Chair of the Business, Industry and Jobs Committee), a prime contractor (Rick Udicious, General Manager of Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems), the University of Minnesota (Matt Kramer, director of the Academic and Corporate Relations Center), and a representative from the U.S. Department of Energy (Rochelle Blaustein, Technology Transfer). Following the panels, Lockheed Martin provided an overview of doing business with their corporation. 15 organizations also exhibited in Lockheed’s atrium during the Defense Industry Roundtable.
A highlight of the event was the half-hour live video teleconference with U.S. forces in Iraq. Major General Richard Nash (Commanding General, Ground Forces, South; and Commander, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard) and Colonel (Chaplain) John Morris provided an overview of coalition forces’ progress in Iraq, and the assembled Defense Alliance membership commended them for their service and sacrifice.
The Defense Industry Roundtable was sponsored by: Minnesota Defense; Soligie, Gradient Technology; UpNorth-Vet, and BAE Systems.
The Defense Alliance is an independent organization whose mission is to network and expand Minnesota’s defense and homeland security industries.
Go back : Release Date: 2009-09-29 11:32:34