ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Sept. 10 -- Sandia National Laboratories and Boeing Co. announced they signed an umbrella cooperative research and development agreement last week "to develop technologies that mutually benefit both." The agreement paves the way for Sandia and Boeing to do business together, allowing them to add project-task statements without having to negotiate terms and conditions on each other, according to a Sandia press release. Technical work will be divided into separate and independent projects. The companies will initially work on tasks involving concentrating solar power technology, headed by a Sandia researcher working with two Boeing project engineers. More projects may be added in several technical categories, including materials and process science; modeling and simulation; sensors, tags and associated electronics; microsystems science, technology and components; logistics and supply-chain management tools; intelligent systems and robotics; manufacturing technologies; test techniques and facilities; pulsed power/directed energy sciences; safety; network and information security; signals processing and analysis; energy systems; and security. For more information, visit: www.sandia.gov