The Maryland Department of Commerce has announced ten grants amounting to $6.95 million through the Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program, aimed at enhancing innovation infrastructure in eligible technology sectors.
This program, part of the Governor's Innovation Economy Infrastructure Act of 2023, offers grants of up to $2 million to private companies, nonprofits, local governments, and educational institutions.
Eligible sectors include advanced manufacturing, aerospace, agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, blue technology, cybersecurity, defense, energy and sustainability, life sciences, quantum technology, and sensors and robotics.
The following ten projects were approved:
1. $2,000,000 for a 35,000-square-foot life sciences incubator at the City Garage Science and Technology Center.
2. $292,600 to create five rooms for life sciences training, including a biotech lab expansion.
3. $1,000,000 for a pilot manufacturing infrastructure for a new clean-tech production process.
4. $700,000 to establish advanced manufacturing capabilities for medical device components.
5. $800,000 for a prototyping facility for thermal insulation materials.
6. $333,333 for a biotech company to create a manufacturing facility for bleeding management solutions.
7. $633,757 for a GMP-compliant facility producing microfluidic cartridges for diagnostics.
8. $98,000 for an agricultural biotech company to develop RNA therapy for trees and expand their facility.
9. $95,456 to enhance cyber training resources for operational technology.
10. $999,930 to transform a former manufacturing plant into a community entrepreneurship center and innovation hub.
Secretary Harry Coker noted that these grants not only invest in individual companies but also promote growth in key industries, fostering innovation and strengthening Maryland's economy.
Governor Moore appointed the Honorable Harry Coker Jr. as Maryland's Secretary of Commerce on February 5, 2025.
In this role, Coker is focused on collaborating to help Maryland "Win the Decade" by developing and sustaining an equitable, robust, and competitive economy through the state's primary economic development agency.
Coker is a retired senior executive from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), as well as a career Naval Officer.
He previously served as America's National Cyber Director in the White House from 2023 to 2025.
While he was the Executive Director of the NSA, Coker directly supported the Director and Deputy Director in both the strategic and day-to-day leadership of the Agency.
His leadership roles at the CIA included positions in the Directorate of Digital Innovation, the Directorate of Science & Technology, and the Director's Area.
Coker's contributions to national security have been recognized through several prestigious awards, such as the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Presidential Rank Award, the NSA Director's Distinguished Service Medal, the Intelligence Community EEOD Outstanding Leadership Award, and CIA's Don Cryer Award for Diversity & Inclusion Leadership.
Outside of government service, Coker has held significant positions, including President of the Central Intelligence Retirees Association (CIRA) and serving on the Boards of Directors of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, the U.S. Navy Memorial, and Dog Tag, Inc.
He has also worked as an Operating Partner with C5 Capital, an Outside Director for JSI Telecom, Inc., and a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee for Octasic, Inc.
Additionally, he contributed to the Editorial Board of *Studies in Intelligence* and served on the Advisory Boards of Zeeam Government Solutions and Historic Ships in Baltimore.
Coker was a Senior Fellow with Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.
A long-time resident of Clinton, MD, Coker currently resides in Baltimore. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Georgetown University Law Center.