Maryland Commerce Welcomes Dutch Cyber Companies  For Bilateral “Soft Landing” Exchange Program

BALTIMORE, MD (February 23, 2017) – The Maryland Department of Commerce has welcomed five Netherlands-based cyber companies that are visiting Maryland through the end of March as part of the Maryland-Netherlands Cyber and Security Technologies Soft Landing Platform. During their stay, representatives from the Dutch companies will use the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park as a base of operations while they explore the U.S. market and consider establishing a permanent presence in the state.

“Maryland’s cyber assets are second to none. In addition to our federal partners like the National Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, we have a community of top-notch IT and cyber companies as well as a highly-skilled talent pool,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “Our state is the perfect place for foreign cyber companies to take the first steps toward establishing a footprint in the United States.”

The Soft Landing program is the product of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2016 between Maryland Commerce and two Dutch economic development organizations – The Hague Security Delta and InnovationQuarter, the regional economic development agency for the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland.

The Dutch companies — European Cyber Resilience Research Network (ECRRN), Compumatica, Cybersprint, Guard from Above and Robin Radar Systems — are slated to attend networking events and several informational sessions about the cyber market in the United States, doing business with the federal government, and various financial and legal issues they will need to consider when establishing a business presence in the U.S.  The companies will also have access to the guidance and advice of their hosts from Maryland Commerce and bwtech@umbc as well as the research park’s entrepreneurs-in-residence.

Four Maryland-based cyber companies — Ausley Associates, System 1 Inc., Canali Inc., and The Credentialed Mobile Device Security Professional (CMDSP) — have traveled to the Netherlands through the Soft Landing program, where they will be connected with similar resources to facilitate their entry into the European market.

The first program of its kind in Maryland, the Soft Landing platform connects the companies with incubation and mentorship services. When the initial trial period concludes at the end of March, participants may choose to establish a permanent presence in either Maryland or The Netherlands.

“bwtech@UMBC is delighted to be participating in the Soft Landing program with the Netherlands,” said bwtech Executive Director Ellen Hemmerly. “This represents a significant opportunity for Maryland cybersecurity companies to globalize their operations and for Dutch companies to realize the potential of the U.S market.”

Those wishing to connect with the visiting Dutch companies or who are interested in participating in the Soft Landing program can contact Jessica Reynolds, the regional manager for Europe with Commerce’s Office of International Investment and Trade, at (410) 767-6435 or Jessica.Reynolds@Maryland.gov.

Maryland is home to more than 11,000 IT and cybersecurity companies that generate more than $39 billion in annual economic activity. The state is also home to 17 higher-education institutions that have been designated National Academic Centers of Excellence in Cyber Defense as well as U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.

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Media Contact:
Maureen Kilcullen
maureen.kilcullen@maryland.gov
(410) 767 – 1794