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University, companies discuss Sandia Labs contract

(AP)—The University of New Mexico is talking to several private companies about the possibility of collaborating on a bid to manage the $2.4 billion Sandia National Laboratories.

UNM president Bob Frank told Albuquerque Journal on Tuesday that a number of private companies have expressed interest in partnering with the university, and the school has met with all of them.

The contract for longtime manager Lockheed Martin expires in September with a potential six-month extension. Meanwhile, the National Nuclear Security Administration has said it plans to put a new contract to bid. Lockheed Martin has managed Sandia since 1993 and says it wants to continue doing so.

Frank says a management partnership including the University of New Mexico could result in a more integrated relationship, with more university faculty and students working in the labs.