Science Applications International Corporation, a global leader in technology integration, signed an agreement with the university to establish a cyber center that will strengthen the resilience of the defense industrial base and expand the pipeline of skilled cyber professionals across the region.
The signing ceremony was held at the UMass Club in Boston Wednesday morning and attended by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, UMass Lowell and SAIC leadership, as well as state and local dignitaries.
“Our administration has been laser-focused on competing for our nation’s leading companies to grow here in Massachusetts, and on providing opportunities to advance and grow our state’s workforce,” Driscoll said. “This partnership prioritizes our state’s innovation economy while also ensuring we’re setting our state, and our country, up for a safer cyber future.”
The new cyber center will extend SAIC’s footprint beyond UMass Lowell’s Applied Research Corporation at Hanscom Air Force Base. The center will provide direct support to the U.S. Air Force’s strategic initiatives in the areas of command, control, communications and battle management; cyber; electronic warfare; information systems; and enterprise digital infrastructure.
UMass Lowell’s Cybersecurity Studies Program is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
SAIC is investing an initial $1.3 million to create an anticipated 30 jobs. The funds will increase access to state-of-the-art cyber research and services for local and regional businesses and nonprofits, and train the future STEM workforce through paid internships, job fairs, and training programs in collaboration with Middlesex Community College and local high schools.
Chancellor Julie Chen previously said the No. 1 factor for companies when deciding where to base their operations is talent, and Lowell offered a “deep bench.”
“So UMass Lowell is bringing 17,000-plus students, MCC bringing over 10,000 students working on their associate’s degree,” Chen said in an interview with The Sun in March. “And of course, the Greater Lowell Tech and Lowell Public Schools are all viewed by these companies as pipeline for talent.”
LINC was built out from the success of UMass Lowell as a Research 1 university, which puts it in the top 4-5% in the country. It earned a No. 1 ranking for a public university in the Wall Street Journal.
The university is focused on companies that align not only with its research goals and expertise, but also with state and federal priorities such as microelectronics, climate technology, robotics, cybersecurity and human performance.
Under the notice of intent, the university and SAIC have also agreed to advance post-graduate employment opportunities for students and to reskill or upskill current personnel at Hanscom Air Force Base and at local defense companies. In addition, the agreement calls for collaboration with other state and federal enforcement agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Establishing this center builds on the success we’ve shared with the University of Massachusetts Lowell in implementing a student internship program at Hanscom Air Force Base focused on the DOD’s critical Cloud One platform,” SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley said. “This expanded partnership will help build the future cyber workforce and ensure a stream of high demand talent for the nation, as well as Hanscom’s many critical programs that directly impact U.S. and global security.”
SAIC joins a hit parade of LINC partners spanning the corporate and nonprofit spectrum.
Draper Laboratory, the company that operated the computer guidance system that helped land Apollo 11 on the moon, announced in March that it would be an anchor tenant at UMass Lowell’s Wannalancit location off Father Morissette Boulevard.
In July, Mass General Brigham announced a collaboration to advance human performance research, followed by Bioversity, a leading Massachusetts nonprofit provider of biotech workforce training, that announced in September that it was opening a dedicated training lab and classroom facility in Lowell.
Chen signed a memorandum of agreement welcoming Home Base as a partner in November. The nonprofit will offer critical resources to veterans and military families across northern and western Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine to heal from their invisible wounds.
Piece by piece, the LINC vision is clicking into place to create an $800 million development plan that leverages the prestige and innovation of the university and the resources and history of the city of Lowell with the job creation capabilities of industry to envision a vibrant urban village/main street model and economic engine for the city.
“It’s a great day in Lowell as we welcome SAIC and celebrate the collaboration with UMass Lowell to create a world-class cyber-research facility,” said City Manager Tom Golden, who was on hand for the ceremony. “The jobs and economic activity that come with SAIC will benefit all residents of Lowell, as we continue to build on the vision and potential of LINC and the Lowell Transformative Development Initiative.”
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