RESOURCE-RICH MARYLAND

Hundreds of foreign-based companies already know why Maryland is a “must location” for international investment. Resource-rich Maryland provides one-of-a-kind strategic assets for foreign businesses looking to expand or grow in the US – and it all begins with its natural, unparalleled global location.

For starters, Maryland’s mid-Atlantic location on the east coast of the United States, next door to the nation’s capital, offers proximity and access to 176 resident embassies and key US and international decision makers and partners. In tandem, more than 350 federal and academic centres – bolstered by the highest proportion of doctoral scientists and engineers in the nation – stimulate research and development for the state’s technology savvy industries.

LOCATION ENVY

Roughly halfway between Boston and Atlanta, London and Los Angeles, Maryland’s enviable location is in the heart of one of the nation’s busiest commercial corridors and one of the most comprehensive transportation  networks along the eastern seaboard, reaching a third of the US population within an overnight drive.

“START-UP STATE” WITH A DIVERSE ECONOMY

Referred to as the “Start-up State”, Maryland’s diverse economy is rooted in Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Aerospace and Defence, BioHealth Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Energy and Sustainability.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & CYBER SECURITY

A hotbed of software services, electronics and telecommunications firms, including a critical mass of cyber security organisations, Maryland is the nation’s epicentre for the powerful cyber security industry. The U.S. Cyber Command, NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, 11,480 information technology businesses, 16 National Security Agency certified Centres of Academic  Excellence and a workforce of nearly 138,000 industry-related workers converge in Maryland – all in arm’s reach of each other.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Sixty per cent of Maryland’s 3,660 manufacturing businesses are a diverse blend of industries that include defence electronics, aeronautics, systems engineering, medical diagnostics, specialty chemicals, software and aircraft engines. Companies produce heavily engineered, customised products include sensors, medical devices, electronics and capital equipment.

AEROSPACE & DEFENCE

Maryland is a thriving location for space exploration, satellite technology and research, design and manufacturing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) and robotics. Maryland includes Department of Defense related activities such as biodefence, cyber security, avionics and ordnance and weapons testing. The state’s 8,580 A&D businesses includes R&D super giants NASA, NOAA, NSA and private enterprises like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, KEYW and UAV Solutions.

BIOHEALTH TECHNOLOGY

Maryland represents one of the largest life sciences clusters in the US with 500+ biotech firms, 2,100 life science companies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and plenty of funding and guidance resources. Companies working in agriculture and marine bio, bio-defence, clean technology, mHealth, telemedicine, electronic health records, bioinformatics, wellness and many more related fields are well represented in Maryland.

ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY

Maryland’s natural gas, electricity and nuclear power companies are joined by solar, wind, geothermal and biomass as energy enterprises with a shared vision toward an energy sustainable Maryland. An early leader in establishing an Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goal of 20% by 2022, the state enacted legislation in May 2012 to accelerate the RPS for solar production by two years. The state’s 1,260 energy and sustainability businesses generate $7.99 billion in gross state product.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Financial services in Maryland comprises 8,340 businesses and employs over 93,000 people. Established powerhouses such as T. Rowe Price, Legg Mason and CareFirst are headquartered in Maryland and recognised industry leaders in Baltimore include Brown Advisory, DF Dent and New Enterprise Associates. Class A office space, a separate power grid from New York City and a robust, fibre-rich telecommunications network make Maryland an ideal location for back office operations.

SMART, SPIRITED R&D POWERHOUSE

One of the nation’s key research centres, Maryland is a powerhouse of spirited, smart people, big ideas and innovative thinkers tackling complex challenges like unlocking the genetic code and servicing the Hubble Telescope. Of the 50 states, Maryland ranks second in total federal funding for research and development, and first in National Institutes of Health R&D contract awards.

The state has 55 higher education institutions and more than 70 federal laboratories fuelling myriad opportunities for pioneering knowledge in advanced technology. Its sustainable workforce also leads the nation in employed PhDs per capita in mathematical, health and biological sciences.

SKILLED WORKFORCE

• 1st among the states in percentage of professional and technical workers in the workforce
• Highest proportion of doctoral scientists and engineers in the nation
• 2nd in the percentage of women-owned firms as a share of all firms
• Skilled manufacturing workers with experience in almost every type of industrial area

MAJOR ACADEMIC RESOURCES

• Johns Hopkins University
• University System of Maryland (11 campuses)
• U.S. Naval Academy
• Morgan State University

KEY FEDERAL FACILITIES

• Aberdeen Proving Ground
• Fort Detrick
• Fort George G. Meade/NSA Cyber Command
• National Institutes of Health
• Patuxent River Naval Air Station

GLOBAL OUTREACH EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES

Maryland International Incubator is a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated to attracting and growing foreign-owned companies to the state. The incubator provides research and development, business development support services and competitively priced space to foreign-owned companies looking to establish a US presence.

Maryland Port Administration’s Port of Baltimore is one of the largest ports in the United States and one of only two US East Coast ports with super Post-Panamax ready cranes, a 50-foot deep channel and 50-foot deep berth. Serving over two thirds of the eastern seaboard, the Port is second only to New York in gross tonnage.  Maryland’s total export cargo is up more than 52% since 2007 while the value of Maryland’s manufactured exports has grown over 29% since 2009.

World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), the largest international business network of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region, is dedicated to growing Maryland’s global business community. More than 18,000 clients benefit from WTCI’s global connections, events, international visitors programme and extensive global business services. In addition, WTCI serves as the World Bank Group’s Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO) for the region, enabling local firms to access opportunities in developing countries.

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Maryland’s primary economic development agency stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing workforce training and financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department of Commerce promotes the state’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic  development and international investment, trade and tourism.

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AND TRADE (OIIT)

The Department of Commerce’s Office of International Investment and Trade is Maryland’s trade and investment promotion unit with a global network of nine international offices. Headquartered in Baltimore, the Department’s team of trade and investment professionals has a wealth of experience in the international arena to help companies manage and expand their global business.

OIIT assists Maryland companies to grow their international business and attracts foreign direct investment into Maryland. FDI value added services we offer include:

• Customised market research
• Site selection and meeting arrangements
• Identifying investment opportunities, locations and partners in Maryland
• Introductions and access to potential partners, public and private companies and organisations
• Information on Maryland’s business, governance and regulatory framework