Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and Colorado State University (CSU) have launched a collaborative Joint Research Program to facilitate activities of mutual interest in atmospheric sciences research and the development of satellite sensors.

The formal working relationship between Ball Aerospace and CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science (ATS) supports a variety of shared goals, including enhanced collaboration between universities and industry, better career training for future scientists and engineers, increased exposure of students to real-world problems, and active identification of joint research opportunities.

"It is vital that our industry provides access to highly skilled engineering and science graduate students," said Drew Crouch, vice president of Strategic Development for Ball Aerospace. "Students benefit by conducting 'real-world' research, our company benefits by locating exceptional employees, and both organizations are served by performing effective research of mutual interest."

The Joint Research Program establishes an ongoing relationship between CSU and Ball Aerospace through which research activities of mutual interest will be identified. The ATS department will recruit master's program students who are candidates to perform the research, and CSU and Ball Aerospace will select students from among the candidates to carry out the research under a subcontract from Ball Aerospace. Ball Aerospace will also provide a staff member to mentor the selected students throughout their masters program, and the students will be encouraged to participate in the Ball Aerospace summer internship program.

"Students participating in the program will follow a curriculum designed to balance the academic needs of the university with the skill base needs of Ball Aerospace," said Neal Gallagher, dean of the CSU College of Engineering. "It's anticipated that upon completion of their master's degree, students of the program may apply for positions within the company."

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. provides remote sensing systems and solutions to the aerospace and defense markets. It is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation which in addition to owning Ball Aerospace is one of the world's leading suppliers of metal and plastic packaging to the beverage and food industries. With the addition of Ball Packaging Europe, acquired in December 2002, Ball expects to report 2003 sales of approximately $5 billion, of which approximately $4.5 billion will come from its two packaging segments and $500 million from its aerospace and technologies segment.

Forward-Looking Statements:

The information in this news release contains "forward-looking" statements. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those expressed or implied. As time passes, the relevance and accuracy of forward- looking statements contained in this release may change. The company currently does not intend to update any particular forward-looking statement except as it deems necessary at quarterly or annual release of earnings. Please refer to the Form 10-K filed by Ball Corporation on March 27, 2003, for a summary of key risk factors that could affect actual results or outcomes. Factors that might affect the packaging segments of the company are: fluctuation in consumer and customer demand; competitive packaging material availability, pricing and substitution; the weather; fruit, vegetable and fishing yields; company and industry productive capacity and competitive activity; lack of productivity improvement or production cost reductions; regulatory action or laws, including the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws and environmental and workplace safety regulations; availability and cost of raw materials, energy and transportation; the ability or inability to pass on to customers changes in these costs, particularly resin, steel and aluminum; pricing and ability or inability to sell scrap; and international business risks (including foreign exchange rates) particularly in the United States, Europe and in developing countries such as China and Brazil. Factors that may affect the aerospace segment are: funding, authorization and availability of government contracts and the nature and continuation of those contracts; and technical uncertainty associated with aerospace segment contracts. Factors that could affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: successful and unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures and the integration activities associated therewith including the integration and operation of the business of Schmalbach-Lubeca AG, now known as Ball Packaging Europe; the inability to purchase the company's common stock; regulatory action or laws including those related to corporate governance and financial reporting, regulations and standards; actual and estimated business consolidation and investment costs and the net realizable value of assets associated with these activities; goodwill impairment; changes in generally accepted accounting principles or their interpretation; litigation; antitrust, intellectual property, consumer and other issues; strikes; boycotts; increases in various employee benefits and labor costs, specifically pension, medical and health care costs incurred in the countries in which Ball has operations; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; interest rates and level of company debt; terrorist activities, war or catastrophic events; and U.S. and foreign economic conditions.

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.