Maryland's TEDCO and NSA Team to Promote Tech Transfer

To spur technology development in the state, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) has entered a collaborative agreement with the nation's cryptologic organization, the National Security Agency (NSA). TEDCO’s mission is to help foster a technology economy that will create and sustain businesses throughout Maryland. NSA coordinates, directs and performs highly specialized activities to protect U.S. information systems and produce foreign intelligence information.

The agreement establishes that TEDCO and NSA will focus on tech transfer by identifying federally funded NSA research results ready for industrial transfer; identifying technologies in the industrial sector that merit transfer into NSA; and identifying technology-based business opportunities that benefit both Maryland and NSA.

It is not the first time TEDCO and NSA have joined forces. In November 2001, the two organizations hosted a technology showcase that drew nearly 200 entrepreneurs, scientists and inventors. Their new agreement comes as part of TEDCO's Federal Lab Partnership Program (FLPP), which seeks to increase collaboration between Maryland companies and federal research laboratories. FLPP matches the labs' capabilities and technical skills with companies or entrepreneurs to help them develop tech-based products and services.

"We are fortunate in Maryland that, because of our location and because of the federal lab presence we have here, we can capitalize on the research conducted in the federal labs," said Aris Melissaratos, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.