Commercializing Technology

The Maryland Defense Technology Commercialization (DefTech) Center is an entrepreneurial resource to facilitate the licensing of DoD technologies developed at the National Security Agency/Fort Meade and other labs in Maryland such as Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) and Ft. Detrick.

Are you:

• An entrepreneur looking to commercialize technology developed at DoD labs in Maryland?
• A technology company seeking to establish a presence in the State of Maryland?
• A scientist, engineer, and other personnel who works at a DoD research lab in Maryland?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the DefTech Center can help! Services offered include:

• Information: Assists in navigating the Technology Transfer (T2) process with Department of Defense (DoD) research laboratories in Maryland.
• Networking: Creates opportunities to connect with T2 staff, scientists and engineers, and service providers.
• Education: Covers T2 topics such as market-oriented product development, Intellectual Property (IP) and patent law, and customer discovery.
• Mentoring: Includes one-on-one technical assistance for DefTech clients interested in licensing technology from DoD labs in Maryland including identifying relevant IP, market analysis, and commercialization planning.

About the DefTech Center

Def Tech Center is a statewide collaborative partnership between government, non-profit, and industry to encourage the commercial use of defense technologies developed within the DoD labs in Maryland. In its first year as a pilot in the APG community, DefTech activities resulted in seven companies committing to T2commercialization agreements. DefTech, led by the Maryland Department of Commerce, was established in 2018 by DoD Office of Economic Adjustment funding, and expanded in 2019 with U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration funding.

Downloadable Def Tech Brochure.

The DoD laboratories located in Maryland which have a partnership with the Def Tech Center include:

• National Security Agency (NSA)
• U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
• U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) labs
  – Army Research Laboratory
  – C5ISR
  – Chemical Biological Center

Learn more about the DefTech Center by visiting TEDCO’s DefTech page.