L-3 Platform Integration
On June 10, officials at L-3 Platform Integration in Waco and Baylor University announced the signing of a lease agreement to occupy 3,200 square feet of industrial space at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) discovery park. L-3 Platform Integration will staff its new lease space in the BRIC with engineers who are already working directly with Baylor faculty researchers.
"Since our team's first visit to the BRIC site in 2011, it was evident it could be an ideal venue for L-3 and Baylor to pursue a variety of research collaborations," said Nick Farah, executive vice president of L-3 Platform Systems, which includes the L-3 Platform Integration division. "We are committed to the concept of developing efficient, cutting-edge technologies and the BRIC provides an ideal environment to accomplish these goals."
L-3 Platform Integration sponsors two research collaborations with Baylor's School of Engineering and Computer Sciences. The first project, initiated two years ago, was established to develop processes for the analysis of advanced aerospace composite materials. L-3 Platform Integration and Baylor plan to commercialize the invention jointly once certified for aircraft use.
The second L-3 Platform Integration and Baylor research collaboration, which began in January 2013, focuses on advanced technologies for aircraft communications systems.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome L-3 as our first industry research collaborator resident within the BRIC. Under Nick Farah's thoughtful guidance, Baylor's collaborations with L-3 have already yielded successful research experiences for our students and faculty, while at the same time providing efficient tools and processes for use in industry," said Dr. Truell Hyde, Baylor vice provost for research.
"The L-3/Baylor partnership is a perfect example of how the BRIC provides an entirely new paradigm for incorporating university research and industrial collaboration. This combination will increasingly provide opportunities for both the university and our regional stakeholders, translating into economic gains for the region," he added.
Jim Kephart, director of program development for the Baylor Advanced Research Institute (BARI), stated, "The L-3 Platform Integration engineering presence in the BRIC is a major step forward in the long-standing relationship between L-3 engineers and Baylor researchers. From an economic development perspective, the partnership demonstrates how regional stakeholders and the university jointly benefit from the BRIC."
Industry representatives interested in collaboration can contact the Baylor University Office of the Vice Provost for Research or visit baylor.edu/bric for more information.