Greater Baltimore's history of energy innovation and today's leadership in numerous STEM fields position the Region as a global leader in the clean and renewable energies of the future. Across Greater Baltimore, the energy sector directly employs over 30,000 workers - from high-tech researchers to non-degree holders - and empowers the technological infrastructure behind every other growth industry (QCEW, 2019). Recent major investments from global leaders in biofuel and off-shore wind energy have focused attention on the Region's numerous energy-related assets, talented workforce, and prime geographic location for continued energy development.
Baltimore and its surrounding counties provide the ideal "college town" experience for almost 300,000 students each year. From world-class educational insitutions, to a rich quality of life, to the Region's plethora of high-skilled job and internship opportunities, Greater Baltimore continues to attract top talent from across the United States and around the world. In the process, these students contribute to a vibrant ecosystem of educational excellence and scientific innovation that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in academia and industry. This same creativity and ingenuity has helped Greater Baltimore establish itself as a home for crucial EdTech innovations that will shape the classrooms and instructors of the future.
Greater Baltimore - home to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort George G. Meade, the US Naval Academy, and Coast Guard Yard - has a proud history of innovation in defense technology. The Region's military and civilian experts inform US policy on topics ranging from communications, to cybersecurity, to chemical weapons, to aerospace. The Region's status as a hub for federally-funded R&D has empowered generations of STEM talent to learn and grow here. Easy access to Washington DC and the Pentagon bolsters Greater Baltimore's high quality of life and showcases its potential for continued growth in defense technology.
Greater Baltimore is one of few regions ideally-suited to pioneer the future of digital health, an industry that will revolutionize healthcare as we know it. Companies in Greater Baltimore benefit from a rich ecosystem of healthcare assets that collectively provide every component necessary for digital health innovation: transformative research, specialized business incubation, access to funding, a talented workforce, and easily-accessible local and federal clients. The growing list of successes among Greater Baltimore's digital health companies in 2020 showcases tremendous potential for this industry to play a defining role in the Region for decades to come.