- Jacques Gansler, Professor and Roger C. Lipitz Chair in Public Policy and Private Enterprise, University of Maryland

Under the Lockheed MOU, Gansler's new Center for Logistics Collaboration will conduct research on improving U.S. defense logistics.

Here, he explains the promise of the arrangement:

I think you'll see a growing number of strategic alliances between research universities and industry. It makes a lot of economic sense and it meets the nation's strategic need for rapid responses and technological developments in critical areas such as national security, cyber defense, alternative energy and climate change.

The most difficult stretch of the research and development pipeline - often called the "Valley of Death" - involves the passage from basic research in the lab to commercialization.

Laser plasma filament research at the University of Maryland supported, in part, by Lockheed Martin. It could help lead to the development of 'laser-generated wire.' Click image for more information

Sponsored research conducted in the framework of a strategic alliance can eliminate this lonely trek through the burning sands. Even getting the research up and running can be accomplished more quickly when an umbrella agreement is in place, in some cases sparing months of negotiation.

Secretary of Defense Gates speaks of the need to shorten the "cycle of realization" - of moving from R and D to implementation more quickly. A strategic alliance of industry and University research can play an important role in accelerating this cycle.

Overall, the economics make good sense for everyone involved. The days of industry maintaining massive research operations - such as Bell Laboratories in the 1950s - have gone the way of the princess phone. Generally speaking, they're too expensive for the short-term returns demanded by Wall Street.

Universities need to diversify their bases of research support. In coming years, federal budgets will probably tighten. Historically, R and D is one of the first line-items to shrink. And, in the increased competition for limited federal funds, University-corporate partners could well enjoy a competitive advantage. Finally, from the government vantage point, these arrangements may well offer better prospects for a return-on-investment. This is a win-win for all.

Jacques Gansler serves as a member of the U.S. Defense Science Board. He served as Undersecretary of Defense, for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from 1997 to 2001.