The Columbia-based Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO) announced its collaboration with various Maryland partners in creating the BlueTechMD Consortium. The goal of BlueTechMD, comprised of for-profits, universities and nonprofits, is to attract more of the myriad of climate tech investors and blue tech entrepreneurs to Maryland, and create more collaborative opportunities and solutions to solve our climate change problems.
The challenges to our waters are unprecedented and acute with acidification, warming and sea level rise, pollution, and the loss of critical marine biodiversity. The Maryland ecosystem, with its breadth and depth of capabilities, is naturally poised to join other emerging blue tech clusters.
Blue Tech is defined as aquaculture, offshore wind, sustainable maritime, stormwater and flooding management, bay and ocean restoration, urban waterfront, and more. Our goal is to build on our region’s core competencies to make Maryland one of the top blue tech innovation hubs and center of excellence in the country.
The Maryland market’s assets include: great anchor institutions with an educated workforce, proximity to federal government resources and the Chesapeake Bay, and accessibility to customers and organizations that help startups scale.
The current partners in the BlueTechMD Consortium include:
- Bethesda Green
- [email protected]
- Early Charm Ventures
- Ferry Cove Shellfish
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
- Maryland Clean Energy Center
- Maryland Department of Commerce
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator
- Maryland Momentum Fund
- Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO)
- Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute
- University System of Maryland
- UpSurge Baltimore