Lockheed Martin gives $1.5 million to develop new cyber innovation lab

Homeland November 29, 2018

Lockheed Martin will contribute $1.5 million to the University of Central Florida (UCF) for the development of a new cyber innovation lab that will foster the next generation of cyber talent.

According to a recent study published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, there’s a dangerous shortage of cybersecurity workers in the United States, with more than 13,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Florida alone.

UCF provides more graduates to aerospace and defence companies than any other university in the United States, and UCF’s Cyber Defense Club is a three-time national champion in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

The innovation lab will open its doors in early 2019 to more than 350 students participating in cyber programs at UCF, expanding the pipeline for the nation’s future cyber talent. The 970-foot lab, which will be located in the atrium of UCF’s Engineering I building, will serve as a learning hub, classroom and the practice center for UCF’s Cyber Defense Club. A public ribbon cutting ceremony and associated Cyber Security Summit is planned for February 2019.

Tom Warner, Director of Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Defense, Range and Resilience organiSation, said: “Our contribution is an investment in the future of students at UCF, the city of Orlando and the broader aerospace community.

“The nation is facing a challenge filling the pipeline of cyber talent, and we see it as our duty to partner with communities, our customers and academia to create resources that inspire and prepare young people for a career in this critical field.”

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Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition Lockheed Martin University of Central Florida