Lockheed Martin at Northumbria: Factsheet and Action Points

Lockheed Martin at Northumbria: Factsheet and Action Points

Northumbria University (NU) is in a close relationship with Lockheed Martin (LM), the world's largest weapons manufacturer. LM’s technologies have been bought and used by genocidal regimes around the world.

NU’s new North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) is a multi-million pound project involving NU, LM, and the UK Space Agency. The University says NESST will create jobs, develop skills, and drive regional economic growth. But at what cost? Is it worth it?

  • What you should know:
  1. LM is the world’s largest weapons manufacturer.
  2. LM has invested £15m in NESST. NU has invested £25m of capital expenditure.
  3. LM will be on NU’s campus.
  4. LM will be able to use technologies developed at NESST.
  5. LM and NU management have not guaranteed that these technologies will not be for military use or ‘dual use’. This means the technologies could be used for both civilian and military purposes.
  6. LM is an American company competing with British firms, and its profits do not benefit UK taxpayers.
  • What you should ask:
  1. Does NU want to risk its research with LM contributing to genocide?
  2. Will LM and NU management guarantee technology and research developed at NESST will not be ‘dual use’, and that research and technologies developed through these partnerships will not have military applications?
  3. Will LM and NU management ensure transparency by publishing the Memorandum of Understanding between them?
  4. At a time when NU staff have faced job cuts, pay cuts, and programme cuts, should the university serve the ‘defence’ industry — or prioritise research and employment serving human needs, environmental sustainability, and social wellbeing?
  5. Should the university become a focus for protests, potentially putting the safety of staff and students at risk?

NU says its values compassion, inclusivity, respect and “doing the right thing”.

That should mean it can answer difficult questions about its relationship with weapons manufacturers.

Staff, students and the wider community deserve to know the terms governing any partnership and the safeguards surrounding any research involving LM.

NU’s future should be shaped by its staff, students and communities — not by the interests of the arms industry. A university must be better, and should mean more, than this.

The North East’s communities deserve good, secure, sustainable jobs and education.  But we should not have to accept militarisation as the price of regional investment.

What can you do?

WAGES NOT WEAPONS – PEOPLE NOT BOMBS