Arizona State University (ASU) will offer its advanced border security research capability to Lockheed Martin as part of the company's effort to shape an operationally successful SBInet solution, the corporation said today. The Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) is a comprehensive multi-year plan to secure America's borders and reduce illegal immigration.

The Tempe campus of ASU, which is home to the North American Center for Transborder Studies, is the largest single campus in the country in terms of student enrollment. A tri-national research alliance with additional locations in Canada and Mexico, the center has direct access to policymakers at the federal level and pairs governmental partners with academic institutions to study and provide policy recommendations on migration, technology, environmental and economic development issues.

"A successful border solution depends in part on building relationships within our border communities," remarked Dr. Jonathan Fink, vice president for Research and Economic Affairs at ASU. "We chose to work with Lockheed Martin because the company recognized how imperative it is to build these coalitions -- and saw the considerable value that our center's research and connections bring to strengthening our borders and the security of this country."

ASU also has a strong record of research in technical areas applicable to border security, including three-dimensional face scanning, sensor and wireless networks, and biometrics. Additionally, the university houses the Decision Theater, a high tech venue for facilitating discussions of technology, science and policy through modeling and simulation, visualization, and collaborative technologies.

"From the Decision Theater to cutting-edge sensor technology, ASU brings a variety of significant, informed input to the Lockheed Martin table," remarked Jay Dragone, vice president, Homeland Security Programs. "This relationship is another example of the way we're actively seeking -- and valuing -- the counsel of groups within our border communities as we craft an SBInet solution that is balanced, measured and immediately deployable."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin