Intersecting the Future: How Saab’s University Partnerships Advance Innovation, Talent and National Security
Saab is a firm believer in the “Triple Helix” cooperation model, where academia, industry and government combine to identify, research and develop innovative technologies and services that meet the nation’s needs. That is why Saab is investing not only in domestic advanced manufacturing and R&D, but also in the people and institutions shaping the technologies of the future.
Across the United States, Saab partners with leading universities to drive breakthroughs in autonomy, AI, advanced radar technologies, digital engineering and more, while supporting the next generation of engineers and innovators in the process.
“University partnerships are an incredible opportunity for all parties, from Saab to the university researchers and students, and to government entities who can then benefit from that research. It’s building and leveraging partnerships that will yield incredible results for years to come,” said Devesh Upadhyay, Chief Technology Officer at Skapa by Saab.
A nationwide network of innovation
Saab is actively collaborating with universities through a combination of internally funded R&D and government-supported Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADs). These partnerships are designed to accelerate development in six key areas:
- Artificial intelligence and data analytics
- Autonomy, robotics, and agent-based systems
- Ethical and responsible AI solutions
- Next generation sensing technologies spanning radar, Radio Frequency (RF) and Electromagnetic (EM) domains.
- AI-enabled design and smart manufacturing
- Precision weapons systems
- Digital engineering
These university partnerships combine Saab’s industry expertise and ability to scale with academic and scientific depth to address complex challenges in defense and technology.
University partnerships, by the numbers
- 14 cutting-edge research projects since the program’s inception
- Over 50 graduate students funded
- $22.5M in U.S. government-funded CRADs
Partnership spotlights
Purdue University
Purdue is a hub for innovation in autonomy, aviation, advanced manufacturing and robotics. Since 2022, Saab has worked with the university to develop cutting-edge research environments, including the Lab to Life aviation research center.
Saab is also a member of Purdue’s Center on AI for Digital, Autonomous and Augmented Aviation (AIDA3), a multidisciplinary consortium pioneering AI and machine learning (ML) models to address challenges within the aviation industry, from optimizing commercial logistics to enhancing safety in autonomous transportation. Saab and Purdue are also actively involved in cutting-edge research on several fronts, including new frontiers in multidomain autonomy, high fidelity simulations and world models, distributed learning and more.
Saab is proud to regularly recruit interns and new hires from the university’s pool of talented students and graduates. At the company’s West Lafayette facility, roughly 20% of employees are Purdue alumni.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
In addition to funding postgraduate research at the Marine Autonomy Lab, Saab and MIT are working together on a Responsible AI program and have received an award for these efforts. The Saab-MIT team is excited to be at the forefront of ethical, effective AI in autonomy.
University of California, San Diego
Saab is collaborating with the University of California, San Diego, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on maritime domain awareness and sensor data processing, utilizing Saab’s Skapa innovation hub. Skapa is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies and solutions, ultimately helping solve global challenges.
University of Michigan
As Saab expands its domestic manufacturing footprint in Grayling, MI, it is also building a partnership with the University of Michigan to support regional economic development and collaborate on ocean energy and maritime awareness initiatives. Saab is also an industry partner supporting the NSF IUCRC Center on Growing Ocean Energy Technologies and Blue Economy (GO Blue).
Syracuse University
Located near Saab’s U.S. headquarters in East Syracuse, the relationship with Syracuse University is one of Saab’s most mature academic collaborations.
Together, Saab and Syracuse are working to shape the future of radar resource management by exploring AI-based radar tasking and cognitive radar systems. Joint research discoveries have resulted in four publications in prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) journals, as well as joint conference presentations at defense conferences such as the Naval Applications of Machine Learning (NAML) workshop.
Advancing technology and people
Beyond the research itself, Saab’s university collaborations serve an important role in connecting Saab engineers with students and faculty through mentorship and collaborative research, as well as supporting broader community initiatives.
These partnerships exemplify the “Triple Helix” approach and what happens when industry and academia align around shared goals: faster innovation, stronger national security capabilities and a new generation of forward-thinking minds ready to take on tomorrow’s toughest challenges.