Scaling Innovation: Collaborating to Deliver What’s Next

How Lockheed Martin is working with emerging technology companies to accelerate speed, scale and mission impact.

Innovation in Action

• Strategic investment: $25M in Divergent
• Cross-business engagement underway
• Focus on rapid design, prototyping and scalable production

Members of Lockheed Martin's leadership team discuss the Replicator during a recent visit.

Expanding the Innovation Ecosystem

Speed and scale are defining requirements in today's security environment. Meeting them means pairing deep mission expertise with new approaches to design and production.

At Lockheed Martin, that includes working more closely with startups and emerging technology companies to combine strengths and move faster from concept to capability.

These investments in innovation help new entrants scale and deliver integrated solutions to our customers that address evolving threats.

Case Study: Divergent

One example is Lockheed Martin's collaboration with Divergent, a company that specializes in advanced manufacturing, including additively manufacturing weapon system structures.

Through its Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS™), the company brings design, analysis manufacturing and production assembly into a unified, digital-first environment that enables speed to production and the ability to scale quickly.

In 2024, Lockheed Martin made a $25 million strategic investment in Divergent, supporting efforts to explore applications across multiple mission areas, including advanced munitions and a vehicle concept worked with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® called the Replicator.

Sec. Hegseth views Divergent's advanced manufacturing technologies with CEO and Co-Founder Lukas Czinger during a stop on his "Arsenal of Freedom" tour.

From Collaboration to Concept

Strengthening the defense industrial base-and increasing the speed at which it can deliver-has become a central focus across government and industry.

During a recent visit to Divergent as part of his nationwide "Arsenal of Freedom" tour, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth viewed the Replicator as an example of emerging production technologies designed to help address these challenges.

The collaboration with Divergent Technologies reflects that same priority: accelerating how quickly advanced capabilities can move from design to production.

By pairing our aeronautical expertise with DAPS™, the team demonstrated what a digital design-to-production model can do. By using digital engineering and additive manufacturing to rapidly iterate designs and produce hardware prototypes, they took a nine-foot wingspan Unmanned Aircraft System, or drone, from concept to first article in less than one year.

While efforts like Replicator-related concepts remain in early stages, they are helping inform how future systems could be developed and scaled to meet evolving mission demands.

Designed for Speed and Flexibility

Divergent's model also introduces the potential for more flexible production by reducing reliance on traditional supply chains and enabling faster response to changing operational needs.

Across the enterprise, teams are assessing where these approaches can provide the greatest impact, from munitions components to aerospace and rotorcraft applications.

Investing to Scale What Works

Lockheed Martin's approach goes beyond exploring new technology. It focuses on helping promising solutions transition to production at scale.

That includes strategic investments designed to accelerate growth and integration.

Other recent investments, including work with Saildrone and Fortem Technologies, reflect this model by pairing innovative capabilities with Lockheed Martin's ability to integrate, scale and deliver mission-ready solutions.

Leaders from Lockheed Martin and Divergent stand behind the Replicator prototype that the companies created together.

Looking Ahead

Not every concept becomes a program of record. But each collaboration builds insight, strengthens business relationships and expands what's possible.

As Lockheed Martin continues to work with companies like Divergent, the focus remains consistent: invest in innovation, accelerate delivery and bring forward the next generation of solutions at speed and scale.