Baltimore Sister Cities

Maryland, USA Delegation September 2022

Maryland is Open for Business: Your Gateway to the U.S.A. (Photo of downtown Baltimore, with Maryland's logo and USA flag

Maryland state’s Department of Commerce leads a business development mission to the Netherlands in September 2022, with visits to the European Water Technology Week in Leeuwarden and to the Rotterdam/The Hague region.

About Maryland

Maryland is a state located on the east coast of the United States next to Washington, D.C. It is home of the Chesapeake Bay, the port of Baltimore, extensive river tributaries, forests, agricultural lands, ocean-front beaches and mountains.

Maryland is a leader in innovation, implementation, and manufacturing in advanced technologies related to water, also known as “blue tech”, which is one of Maryland’s emerging industries. Maryland is very concerned with climate change issues, environmental sustainability and water quality. New focus has been placed on reaching carbon reduction targets, building alternative energy sources, rebuilding its natural ecosystem (including oysters), purifying its water and reducing urban heat islands.

Maryland is your gateway to the USA

Maryland is the ideal place to expand your business to the USA, and for you to find Maryland partners to assist in addressing the environmental challenges facing us all.

Maryland has developed innovative programs and incentives to help international companies interested in developing a presence in the U.S. market, including the Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program: https://commerce.maryland.gov/softlanding

Learn more about doing business in Maryland:
https://open.maryland.gov/information-for/international-business

Meet the Maryland companies

Maryland’s September 2022 delegation to the Netherlands includes:

Early Charm — A venture builder that converts science to business. It specializes in turning brilliant scientific discoveries into companies focused on growth. With a decade of experience, its companies have grown into manufacturers of specialty products, innovators for aquaculture farms, and builders of engineered products for use in healthcare.
Website: www.earlycharm.com

Innovatreat — Innovatreat’s miniMBR is an extremely efficient pre-engineered system excelling in decentralized nutrient removal and water reuse applications. The miniMBR utilizes externally mounted, vertically-oriented tubular ultra-filter membranes for biomass separation. Its one-of-a-kind, hydraulic pattern contributes to the highest energy efficiency of any MBR available on the market today.
Website: innovatreat.com

Tetrahedron, Inc. — Provides environmental services in the USA and internationally. Its services include drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater management. Its expertise has been in conducting water quality assessments with respect to all contaminants including organics, inorganics, disinfectant by-products, explosives, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microorganisms.
Website: tetrahedron-inc.com

Blue Sources — Provides real-time, early warning systems that detect toxic chemicals in drinking water distribution and raw water systems. Additionally, its products and services are used for monitoring wastewater effluent and EPA superfund sites discharging water. In support of water security monitoring tasks, it provides consulting, technical, and managed services.
Website: www.bluesources.com

GaiaXus — Develops water environmental monitors for citizen science, school education, and academic research. Its first system is an IoT water quality system with integrated educational content. The system measures common water quality parameters such as salinity, temperature, and turbidity and is open for collaborators to add their specialized sensors.
Website: gaiaxus.com

Ranging from off-the-shelf options to bespoke solutions, these companies provide wide ranging blue tech services including water quality testing, recycling, monitoring, education, security, management and more. Large or small, on the ground or over the web, these leaders can meet your needs.

For more information

Contact the delegation’s leader:
Andrew Kreinik, Regional Manager for Europe and Australia at Maryland Department of Commerce: andrew.kreinik@maryland.gov
(or contact Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee)

Maryland Commerce’s blog post:
https://open.maryland.gov/blog/maryland-blue-tech-sector-on-full-display-at-european-water-technology-week

About the delegation trip:
https://baltimoresistercities.org/blue2022/

Venture Cafe Rotterdam September 22 networking event:
https://venturecaferotterdam.org/sessions/break-out-learn-more-about-maryland-and-opportunities-to-land-here/

Logos of the Maryland companies in delegation: Early Charm, Tetrahedron, Innovatreat, Blue Sources, GaiaXus
Logos of the promotion partners: Maryland Department of Commerce; BlueTechMD; Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities

Maryland soft landing program for international businesses

The State of Maryland has launched a soft landing program for international businesses. The program is coordinated by the Maryland Department of Commerce.

The program provides international companies with the opportunity to test out new markets at an affordable rate, with access to business resources, educational programs, mentors and advisors, networking events, and tailored advice. Co-working spaces, hubs, and incubators located around the state of Maryland provide office space and networking to international firms. Several sites are located in Baltimore. Some of the sites are focused on specialty sectors, and some are for tech in general.

Both in-person and virtual soft landing programs are available.

The program also supports Maryland companies, as reciprocal agreements with programs in other countries, to explore new markets abroad.

Baltimore Sister Cities encourages firms from our sister cities to try out this program, and for Baltimore firms to explore options to expand to our sister cities’ regions.

More information about the soft landing program

If your firm is interested in participating in the program, contact Jessica Reynolds, Senior Director, Office of International Investment and Trade, Maryland Department of Commerce: Jessica.Reynolds@maryland.gov.

For more info about doing business in Maryland and Baltimore

Maryland bluetech | greentech business delegation to Europe

Green-and blue-wave made out of curved lines and dots, superimposed on blue photographic background with molecule-style pattern. Maryland Commerce logo. Summary of the business mission. September 2022.

The Maryland Department of Commerce and several Maryland environmental tech and water tech companies are participating in a business delegation to the Netherlands, including Water Tech Europe trade show and other site visits, during the week of September 19 – 24, 2022.

The trip includes:

1. Participation in the Water Tech Europe trade expo and the accompanying Wetsus Congress at European Water Technology Week (EWTW) which brings together sessions and field visits focused on topics like sustainable water supply, wastewater treatment and reuse, circular economy, energy production from water, climate resilience, and new water sources. This is the place for professionals working on solutions for tomorrow’s water issues. EWTW attendees include universities, research institutes, innovative companies and corporate end-users, government representatives, and water clusters from Europe and around the world, including water clusters from the U.S. like the Milwaukee Water Council. European Water Technology Week takes place in Leeuwarden in the northeast region of the Netherlands. The Maryland Department of Commerce has a pavilion at Water Tech Europe for environmental tech businesses from Maryland.

2. Site visits — Maryland has planned networking opportunities and field visits to sites in The Hague / Rotterdam in the western region of the Netherlands for the delegation to learn about innovative technologies and meet potential business partners. The program is tailored to the focus sectors of the participating companies. Maryland Commerce consultants in Europe are providing free networking assistance to participants.

3. Maryland break-out session and networking event — Free, in-person event on September 22, 2022 at 5-8pm CET at Venture Café Rotterdam. An opportunity for Dutch entrepreneurs to meet the Maryland delegation and learn about opportunities to soft land their business in Maryland, your gateway to the U.S.A. Event info page

Delegation goals

  • Help Maryland firms explore business opportunities abroad
  • Find international business partners to bring innovative technologies to Maryland
  • Network with U.S. and European firms, innovation hubs, and research institutes
  • Raise the international profile of Maryland companies

Focus sectors

The program and topics is tailored to the focus areas of the participating companies, but it includes topics like:

  • Drinking water and wastewater management
  • Urban water management and climate resilience
  • Water in agriculture
  • Maritime technologies
  • Aquaculture
  • Renewable energy
  • Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
  • Circular economy; water conservation and re-use technologies
  • Pollution; plastic soup
  • Digitalization

Potential site visits include:

  • Business networking events in Rotterdam/The Hague region
  • The Green Village at Delft Technical University (field lab for sustainable innovation)
  • Port of Rotterdam; Port XL maritime tech accelerator
  • Envirotech testing facilities
  • Stormwater water infrastructure; storm surge barriers
  • Aquaculture sites
  • In addition, the EWTW Wetsus Congress includes field trips related to resource recovery from wastewater, energy production from water, circular water systems, and horticulture. Tours start from WaterCampus in Leeuwarden.

Eligibility

  • Eligibility: Participation is open to Maryland firms — firms that have their business operations in Maryland.
  • Financial assistance: Maryland businesses can apply for the Export MD grant to cover a portion of their trip expenses (up to $5,000 reimbursement). The deadline to apply for this grant has passed.

Participating Maryland companies

Early Charm • Tetrahedron, Inc. • Innovatreat • Blue Sources • GaiaXus

Are you a Dutch company looking to do business in Maryland?

Maryland is the ideal place to expand your business to the USA, and for you to find Maryland partners to assist in addressing the environmental challenges facing us all.

Maryland has developed innovative programs and incentives to help international companies interested in developing a presence in the U.S. market, including the Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program: https://commerce.maryland.gov/softlanding which is available to companies in any sector, not only environmental technology.

The soft landing program is available year-round, but if you apply by Oct 31, 2022, your company may be eligible for additional financial assistance and support (press release about the Oct 31 application deadline)

For more information

Contact the delegation’s leader:
Andrew Kreinik, Regional Manager for Europe and Australia at Maryland Department of Commerce: andrew.kreinik@maryland.gov (or contact Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee for information).

Maryland Commerce’s blog post:
https://open.maryland.gov/blog/maryland-blue-tech-sector-on-full-display-at-european-water-technology-week

Learn more about doing business in Maryland:
https://open.maryland.gov/information-for/international-business

 

Logos of the Maryland companies in the delegation: Early Charm, Tetrahedron, Innovatreat, Blue Sources, GaiaXus
Logos of the promotion partners: Maryland Department of Commerce; BlueTechMD; Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities

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