New partnerships have been announced during Governor Wes Moore’s first international trade mission.

During the governor’s trip to the United Kingdom, it was announced that a new collaborative project will help address challenges in food packaging and logistics, supply chain, and distribution.

The Maryland Innovation Lab , an initiative of the Global Gateway Program, is a partnership between the Maryland Department of Commerce; the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) in Baltimore; and L Marks, a corporate innovation specialist that has established operations in the U.K. and U.S. Through this project, Maryland businesses will be matched up with global tech companies to work on new innovations, and ultimately spur investment in their home state. Read more .

"When talented people come together to solve big problems, great things can happen. The Maryland Innovation Lab will help us address pressing challenges by connecting companies in our state with companies around the world willing to share their expertise," said Governor Moore.

“Maryland’s reputation as a hub for global business is about to get even stronger,” said WTCI CEO Eddie Resende. “The lab will match up great minds so that the state’s business sector can drive economic growth and global good at a pace and scale never seen before. WTCI’s network of 3,500+ globally minded businesses from the Mid Atlantic will be invaluable in ensuring this happens.”

Also announced during the trip was the addition of Plexal to the Maryland Global Gateway Exchange program—the seventh official exchange partner and the first in the U.K. By joining the program, Plexal will provide office space, mentoring, educational programs, networking, and other services to Maryland businesses interested in expanding into the global marketplace.

Plexal joins a growing list of global partners which includes facilities in France, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, and South Korea.