Lockheed Martin (www.lockheedmartin.com) has officially opened the Innovation Lab (iLab) at its Bedfordshire site, in order to help solve some of the world’s most complex defence and security challenges.

The iLab encourages teams to make the impossible possible by providing the space, the tools and the environment to turn their high-tech ideas into reality.

In addition, the company plans to open its doors to young people and give them the opportunity to put their engineering talents to the test.

Deputy managing director Chris Edwards said: “Innovation is what Lockheed Martin does; In opening the iLab, we are not only investing in our facilities but also in our people and the local community.

"Often, the solution to a problem starts with a simple idea; we want to encourage that thinking among our teams, who are solving problems today, and young people in the local community, who will be the problem-solvers of tomorrow.”

The new development will give Lockheed Martin employees the freedom to innovate, develop and test ideas beyond the constraints of their day-to-day work.

Through its outreach programme, the company is also intending to open up the facility to local schools and other educational institutes.

Peter Gregson, chief executive of Cranfield University, said: “It’s fantastic to once again see Lockheed Martin investing in the region.

“As two organisations at the heart of the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Growth Corridor, Cranfield and Lockheed Martin are playing an important role in fostering innovation and developing skills — not just for the region but for the country as a whole.”