Maryland Department of Commerce, in collaboration with the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), are joining forces to expand Maryland’s Defense Technology Commercialization Center (DefTech). The expansion of the program was made possible through a $585,463 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation and matching funds totaling $183,338 from the Maryland Department of Commerce and TEDCO.
“Maryland is home to some of the best federal and defense assets in the nation. In partnership, we are leveraging these extraordinary institutions to drive economic growth, invest in innovation, and support Maryland entrepreneurs,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Making Maryland more competitive means ensuring we have a clear strategy to match our rich assets. Today, we write the next chapter in that critical work — and our state is going to be better because of it.”
“Maryland is home to over 70 federal laboratories that house state-of-the-art equipment and top experts,” said TEDCO Chief Executive Officer Troy LeMaile-Stovall.“The expansion of this program allows more businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to continue learning, innovating and networking, thereby advancing Maryland towards a more inclusive and sustainable ecosystem.”
Established in 2018, Maryland’s DefTech Center connects startups and entrepreneurs to federal resources or laboratories for further development of commercial products. DefTech was founded to aid economic growth by encouraging small businesses to utilize federal lab and defense resources to develop a product for non-federal commercial market or government consumption, otherwise known as technology transfer.
“Through the DefTech program, dozens of start ups and entrepreneurs have been given the opportunity to explore pathways of transferring defense technologies into the government and commercial markets,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “The continuation and expansion of this program across our state directly taps into the growth of Maryland’s innovation-based economy while bolstering our ties with the defense industry.”
With the new grant, the DefTech Center seeks to support 30 active client startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses with technology transfer and commercialization opportunities. As active members, companies of the DefTech program gain access to the DefTech Academy, an education and training program informing on key topics relevant to working with federal labs; information on research and funding opportunities; introductions to federal lab personnel; and various mentorship opportunities. Additionally, the DefTech program has provided training to over 100 federal lab researchers on the benefits of working with businesses on technology and product development.
The Maryland DefTech Center has provided more than 40 startup technology companies with the support and professional expertise needed to break into federal markets. A recent example of the program’s wide reach can be found in Redhelm Labs, an unmanned aircraft and drone technology startup, that recently used DefTech services to obtain federal funding to aid in the creation of a new charging system for drones.
Applications for the current iteration of the DefTech program will be accepted through January 2026. The online application procedure follows an initial screening by a DefTech advisor, and accepted applicants are separated into one of two groups: resource-ready for immediate federal engagement and commencement of DefTech services or preliminary training followed by the commencement of DefTech services.
