June 21, 2022 - Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace and security company, has announced a working collaboration with RTC North designed to help local businesses build opportunities through the company’s operations in the region for its UK and international opportunities, including its US market.

This announcement follows the UK Space Sector Skills and Supplier Summit hosted by Lockheed Martin in Newcastle earlier this year and represents another step forward for the company as it ramps up its business in the UK’s flourishing space sector. The company has identified the Northeast as a potential location from which to base its future space operations which could see the creation of up to 2,300 highly skilled jobs.

The RTC North collaboration will help Lockheed Martin identify the right companies to collaborate with and access the amazing innovation in the region.  The relationship will see both organisations working with small and medium sized businesses to help them maximise their chance of success in winning contracts with Lockheed Martin and its global customers.

Helen Meston, Head of Supply Chain at Lockheed Martin UK Space, said: “This collaboration demonstrates our strong commitment to advancing our UK-based operations, in alignment with the country’s existing capacities and abilities, with the potential for future expansion. We are excited to work with RTC North to help further develop the North of England’s already burgeoning space industry. Given the area’s marked manufacturing history, it is an exceptional region for us to progress our business whilst also helping to create new jobs.”

Jamie Ollivere, Managing Director at RTC North, said “RTC advisors work with thousands of companies each year on business improvement and innovation projects and have an in-depth knowledge of the business base across the North of England. We are delighted to be working with Lockheed Martin on this supply chain development project.”

Lockheed Martin already has several growth plans in place for the UK space sector. The company are a strategic partner to the UK government and are working with the UK Space Agency to conduct northern Europe’s first vertical satellite launch from the recently-approved SaxaVord Spaceport, creating a wealth of jobs and injecting millions into the UK economy.