Maryland Commerce invests in Southern Maryland innovation
Summary
Home to a major navy flight and warfighter presence, Southern Maryland is well-situated to focus on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and autonomy, including in the growing AeroPark Innovation District.One of the biggest things we can do at the Maryland Department of Commerce is help fund economic development projects throughout the state, said Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. Separately, the department partnered with Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) on a study to help develop a statewide strategic autonomy vision.Tom Sadowski, the executive director of MEDCO, agrees that the AeroPark Innovation District is key to helping advance critical mission objectives for the Navy, federal agencies, businesses and other key partners with a major presence in Southern Maryland.Its a perfect space for the collaboration of industry, government and academia in the advancement of technologies critical to our nations defense and the improvement of our everyday lives, said Sadowski. Naval Aviator John Slaughter serves as the director of UROC and sees national implications for the centers work with its regional partners. From Platform Aerospace to HopFlyt, were seeing record-setting drones and electric vertical-takeoff aircrafts set the stage for unmanned vehicles and systems. The idea is rather than a segregated operation, we integrate the airspace where manned and unmanned are working and flying together.Key partners from industry, academia and government are aligned in support of CURN, including the Maryland Department of Commerce.