The STEM scholarship programme was signed by DefencEduNet and Lockheed Martin within the framework of the International Defence and Security Exhibition DEFEA – Defence Exhibition Athens, on Tuesday, 7 May 2025, at the SEKPY stand.

Lockheed Martin has launched the new STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programme in collaboration with DefencEduNet, the Greek defence cluster, aiming to provide a significant number of scholarships for postgraduate studies to personnel of the Hellenic Armed Forces.

Through this initiative, announced during DEFEA 2025, Lockheed Martin actively supports scientific collaboration between Greek academic institutions and research centres with the defence industry, for the benefit of the Hellenic Armed Forces, the Greek economy, and the scientific community.

This collaboration with DefencEduNet is expected to further advance research and innovation, contribute to industrial development, and foster the creation of new technologies.

As an industry leader and with a workforce of over 70,000 engineers, Lockheed Martin is committed to working with scientists and IT professionals to develop programmes that educate and inspire the scientists, engineers and mathematicians of tomorrow.

“At Lockheed Martin, we understand firsthand the importance of STEM education beginning at a young age. Our future success and technological advantage depend on a continuous supply of highly qualified and technically competent talent,” said Costas Papadopoulos, Lockheed Martin’s Chief Regional Executive. 

“We firmly believe that advancement of STEM education requires collaboration between industry, educators, policymakers, and families, with continuous support from early childhood through to university. This new STEM initiative complements the existing programmes at the Children’s Special Care Center of the Piraeus Naval Hospital, the Hellenic Army, the University of Athens and elsewhere—programmes we are proud of and look forward to further expanding.”

DefencEduNet is a newly established organisation whose mission is to bridge Greek academic institutions with the national defence industry, with the aim of promoting research, innovation, and technological development.

It is a defence cluster created through cooperation between the Association of Hellenic Defence Equipment Manufacturers (SEKPY) and a growing number of Greek universities, including the University of Macedonia, the International Hellenic University, the Democritus University of Thrace, the University of Western Macedonia, the National Centre for Research and Technological Development (EKETA), and the Thessaloniki Centre for Innovation and Technology.

“We welcome this very important milestone achieved by the newly established cluster—and I refer to the  trust it has earned from Lockheed Martin, a leading defence company, which is now offering scholarships to its partner universities and founding members, for the benefit of the Hellenic Armed Forces,” said Vice Admiral (ret.) Stavros Banos, Director General of DefencEduNet.

Also read: SEKPY | The Strategy of the Next Five Years is Necessary for the Hellenic Defence Industry