By Maryland Department of Commerce
Along-awaited data center development and a massive new push to establish Maryland as the “Capital of Quantum” are among the state’s many economic development wins over the past year.
A 2.2-million-square-foot data center development is underway in Frederick County and will mark Maryland’s first hyperscale facility. Developed by Rowan Digital Infrastructure, the project is one of several planned for the 2100-acre Quantum Frederick campus, which will be connected to the Northern Virginia data center ecosystem via a 40-mile fiber optic loop. Known as the Qloop, that connection will allow high-speed data transmission between data centers in each state with minimal latency.
While infrastructure like the QLoop is an important tool, recent policy decisions have truly paved the way for data center projects to come to Maryland, including a sales-and-use tax exemption for data center equipment passed by state lawmakers in 2020 and legislation making it easier for data centers to install critical backup generators.
When signing the latter provision into law in 2024, Governor Wes Moore declared that it would “supercharge the data center industry in our state” and create many good-paying jobs.
Dovetailing with the growth of Maryland’s data center industry is the state’s growing leadership in the development of quantum technology. As home to research hubs like the University of Maryland, College Park and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Quantum Matter, Maryland is poised like no other state to harness the power of this quickly evolving technology.
In January, Governor Moore announced the Capital of Quantum Initiative, a public-private partnership with an aspirational goal of catalyzing $1 billion in investments and solidifying the state’s leadership as one of the world’s top quantum epicenters, with the University of Maryland as the key anchor.
“Quantum has the potential to transform every part of our economy and society, from national security to health care,” Moore said in a statement. “Together, we will make Maryland the quantum capital of the world.”
One of the state’s key quantum assets and partners is IonQ, a business spun out of University of Maryland research that has become the world’s first publicly-traded, pure-play quantum computing company. The state’s initial “Capital of Quantum” investment included funds to support IonQ’s new, 100,000 square-foot corporate headquarters, and the company was part of the delegation of Maryland businesses accompanying Governor Moore on an international trade and investment mission to Japan and South Korea in April 2025. During that trip, IonQ signed a collaborative agreement with Japan’s Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI Technology.
“Investing in quantum computing and networking is investing in Maryland’s future,” IonQ Executive Chair Peter Chapman said in a statement. “We are honored to join Governor Moore on this historic visit to Japan and grateful for his support for IonQ’s cutting-edge research and innovation development.”
Other economic development wins for Maryland over the past year included welcoming new facilities across the state in industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food logistics and more.
In Western Maryland, NewCold announced it was opening a cutting-edge cold storage facility in Washington County. A global leader in food logistics, New Cold plans to invest more than $275 million in the temperature-controlled warehouse and create up to 150 new jobs. Elsewhere in Washington County, HBC Healthcare is establishing a new medical device component manufacturing facility which will anchor the redevelopment of Fort Richie, a former U.S. Army base that closed in the 1990s. HBC Healthcare expects to create 300 full-time jobs over the next few years.
In neighboring Allegany County, Kingspan Roofing + Waterproofing announced it is establishing a new manufacturing facility to support its line of energy-efficient waterproofing and roofing technology; the company intends to hire 95 new employees over the next five years.
PwrQ, which provides end to end power systems solutions for critical infrastructure facilities, announced in February that it would expand its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Anne Arundel County. The 155,000 square-foot expansion will allow the company to retain employees and create new jobs over the next five years.
“As the number of companies in the Mid Atlantic continues to grow, so does the need for increased power supply infrastructure and managed data centers,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker, Jr. “PwrQ’s expanded presence in Anne Arundel County will help the company continue serving a variety of industries and keep critical systems running throughout the country.”
Syngene International, a global research, development, and biotech pharmaceutical manufacturing company, announced plans to open its first U.S. facility in Baltimore City, creating 300 new jobs.
“The state-of-the-art biologics facility will complement our India-based operations,” said Syngene International Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Peter Bains. “Maryland is one of the leading biopharma clusters in the U.S. and we are excited to contribute to this vibrant ecosystem and the region’s economy.”
Maryland also announced funding for a third round of Build Our Future grants. Established through Gov. Moore’s Innovation Economy Infrastructure Act of 2023, the program provides matching grants of up to $2 million to projects that demonstrate a transformative impact in accelerating growth and innovation in the state’s strategic industry sectors. Twenty-one program grants were issued in the first two rounds; that $15.9 million has spurred $48.7 million in private capital investment and supported 655 new jobs.
“From cybersecurity training centers to wet lab space to advanced manufacturing facilities, previous Build Our Future grant recipients have been laying the groundwork for future innovation and success,” said Coker. “We look forward to identifying and partnering with a new group of innovative projects working to move Maryland forward.”
