Israeli companies seeking to penetrate the US homeland security market will now have the backing of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). The US aerospace giant has announced that it will sponsor MarketReach America, a business development program assisting Israeli homeland security companies with the commercialization of their products and technologies in the US. Among the program's other sponsors is the US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation.
MarketReach America has also announced the names of four Israeli companies that have been selected to participate in the program. The companies are EMZ, which develops products based on automated microdevices (AMD) for the surveillance and detection market; Britannica, specialists in products based on natural language processing (NLP) for the Internet and enterprise information retrieval environments, particularly in Arabic-language analysis; Ofek International, developer of the next generation in photogrammetry - expected to replace traditional vertical aerial photos - for managing anti-terror and other military activities; and Barritec, producers of biological and chemical warfare sheeting as well as inexpensive protective equipment for the consumer market.
The Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC) and Israel-based Trendlines Group, a business development company specializing in US market strategies, together established the program that commences in Baltimore, Maryland, in March 2005.
Over the course of the strategy development and planning program, the Israeli companies will participate in seminars, workshops, and strategic sessions dealing with issues critical to success in the American market, such as raising funds from value-added American partners, institutional and venture investors; developing appropriate marketing and sales strategies; and producing marketing communications materials. Speakers will include leading U.S. marketing specialists, investment professionals, as well as experts from the American homeland security sphere. As part of their sponsorship, Lockheed Martin business development executives will address the seminar. Similarly, other Lockheed Martin personnel will provide specialized consulting to the individual Israel companies participating.
During the second stage of the program, Trendlines will assist the companies in building a program for growth, attracting investment, and establishing American market relationships. The third and final stage of MarketReachAmerica involves bringing the companies back to the US for a business development “road show” to meet prospective customers, strategic partners, and investors.
MIDC Executive Director Barry Bogage said, “Israeli homeland security companies lead the world in innovation and technological development, yet they often stumble when it comes to developing their markets. MarketReach America helps close this gap and overcome these pitfalls.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on February 14, 2005