In November 2021, BlueTechMD held its inaugural event on Tuesday, November 16 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The goal was to discuss our cohesive narrative of what blue tech is, explain why Maryland can be one of the top three regional blue tech clusters of the country, showcase what is going on here, and engage investors and entrepreneurs interested in coming to Maryland. 

You can view the recording of the event below

One of the presentations is also available here: "The Future of the Port of Baltimore: Innovative Reuse of Dredged Material".  

We had a BIG DAY - and this is just the start.  Maryland has a solid and diverse group of capabilities and expertise to become a new Blue Economy Center of Excellence.

 What differentiates Maryland?

• Conservation financing, Clean Energy Jobs Act (50% renewables by 2030), resilience authorities

• 7000 miles of shoreline + watershed implementation plans + Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement = infrastructure in place to support BlueTech industries

• 1.2 GW of offshore wind to be in development - creating 9000 jobs (‘once in a generation opportunity’) - Maryland will create power and be an epicenter of the emerging supply chain

• Deep, roll on roll off port connected to 140,000 jobs

• Unparallelled aquaculture and particularly oyster restoration in the country’s largest and most productive estuary

• Proximity to federal labs, university systems, the wide breadth and depth of STEM based research capabilities through our Universities.  STEM based research are typically the behind the scenes foundation for new economic cluster growth along the economically dense I95 corridor

• ‘Smarter’ waterfronts through advances in sensors and data analytics...

• As we work to restore the Chesapeake Bay, Bluetech industries have the ability to add billions of dollars to Maryland's economy, while working towards a healthier Chesapeake Bay.

So What’s Next - Our Goals Include:   

• Help identify bluetech innovators in Maryland and, together, provide a/ stronger support base (through the concept of a Cluster) to not only succeed but to stay and grow in Maryland. Start ups will stay here because it makes sense to do so

• Engage regional corporates, small and medium enterprises - what are their problems and how can entrepreneurs help solve them?  

• Attract early stage companies and figure out what they need (not just money needs but channel partners, advice, accounting, marketing, business plan support) 

• Create a diverse group of Advisors and Mentors that can support early stage MD bluetech startups.  The actual mentoring may be virtual or may rotate at different physical locations such as existing co working and incubators in MD

• Job board support

• Create the equivalent of a Governor’s Life Science Advisory Board but for blue tech

• Gather all info in one place for early stage startups so they know about all of the resource available to them

• Create a horizontal “system” that integrates blue tech innovation across verticals across Maryland including incubators, university assets, corporate work, Port Authority, government agencies, mentor/mentee system, mutual grant writing and perhaps even combining solutions into systems rather than orphaned isolated solutions.

• Explore regional cooperation between MD, DE, VA, S. PA (major Chesapeake watershed boundaries not artificial political boundaries).