Northrop Grumman and CREOL, FPCE partner on next-generation photonic technologies

May 27, 2008--Northrop Grumman Corporation is forming a strategic research partnership with the University of Central Florida aimed at facilitating the co-development of advanced optic and photonic technologies. Under the five-year Master Sponsored Research and License Agreement, Northrop Grumman will provide financial support and engineering expertise to the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE).

CREOL and FPCE are two research centers within the College of Optics & Photonics at the University of Central Florida. In exchange, Northrop Grumman will receive preferential rights to any resulting technology developed through the partnership.

"Northrop Grumman's leadership in optic and photonic technologies will be a tremendous asset to our students," says M.J. Soileau, VP for research and commercialization at the University of Central Florida. "We're looking forward to leveraging their expertise in this field in order to develop new technologies that have military, intelligence, homeland defense and civil applications."

The company has long-established operations in Central Florida, where it conducts work in airborne ground-surveillance and battle management systems and also manufactures military laser systems such as ground-based laser rangefinders for target location. Northrop Grumman has enjoyed a strong relationship with the university both in funding research and by hiring its graduates.

For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com.