The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Lockheed Martin are engaging in a new initiative to research autonomous systems, MIT News reported Monday.

MIT’s department of aeronautics and astronautics and the institute’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory entered into a multiyear agreement with the aerospace company on May 13 to collaborate on research, provide support for undergraduate research, fellowships, and internships at Lockheed Martin, and participate in an exchange of visiting scientists.

“We are making the investment today, not just in research and development of the technologies that could have the most impact on future generations, but in the talent of these amazing individuals that will truly shape the future,” Padraig Moloney, a Lockheed Martin program manager and MIT alum who helped design the new initiative, told MIT News. “We’re confident that our relationship and collaboration in these technical areas will influence the fields of autonomy and robotics for the next 15 to 20 years.”

The collaboration will look at improvements in human/machine teaming and navigation in challenging environments, among other “generation-after-next” innovations, the report said.

Six professors from MIT’s department of aeronautics and sstronautics, and one professor from the institute’s department of mechanical engineering will participate in the initial research.