Business Resources
Defense Business Growth
Business owners who are interested in growing their defense businesses in Maryland are encouraged to explore the following resources.
Track Defense Spending in Maryland (Maryland Defense Network)
The Maryland Department of Commerce offers a free online network/search tool, the Maryland Defense Network (MDN) , to help visualize the impact of defense spending in Maryland, and to help Maryland defense companies see and be seen for contractor and subcontractor opportunities. MDN also offers a custom dashboard with saved filters, charts, and tables.
Explore Maryland Defense Patents
Maryland is home to many research, development, testing, and evaluation institutions associated with the federal government, including 74 federal labs. Innovative products, like the smartphone, grew out of research conducted by the DoD and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Maryland Defense Patent Database is a tool entrepreneurs can use to explore innovations poised for commercialization.
Southern Maryland Innovates
With four separate Navy research installations that boast 10 new disclosures monthly and more than 1,500 patents for licensing, Southern Maryland is a hotbed of innovation. Southern Maryland Innovates helps fuel that innovation and boost economic diversification in the area. Connect with the region’s innovation ecosystem through Southern Maryland Innovates and follow the annual Crab Pot, the Southern Maryland Pitch Competition .
Southern Maryland Innovates is a joint initiative made possible by the cooperation and funding from the College of Southern Maryland, Maryland Department of Commerce, U.S. Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), Calvert County, Charles County, and St. Mary’s County.
