Harry Coker, Jr., is counting on tech innovation to revive Maryland’s sluggish economy.
The former National Security Agency executive director and Biden administration cyber chief took over as Maryland’s secretary of commerce in February. He leads the state’s economic development efforts to attract private investment, retain and grow existing businesses and strengthen the workforce.
He’s focused on developing the “lighthouse” sectors — computational biology, quantum computing and aerospace — that Gov. Wes Moore’s administration sees as regional strengths. Now, he’s touring the state to learn each county’s economic outlook and exploring ways to reduce reliance on the federal government.
“Our driver, frankly, is to develop a robust, equitable and competitive economy that we need to be able to weather the headwinds coming from Washington or wherever else.”
Harry Coker, Jr., Maryland’s secretary of commerce
“We are going out to every corner of Maryland to mitigate their risks and their concerns,” Coker told Technical.ly at a tour of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s bwtech@UMBC research park in Catonsville. “Our driver, frankly, is to develop a robust, equitable and competitive economy that we need to be able to weather the headwinds coming from Washington or wherever else.”
For bwtech, he said the university’s research developments and ways to support tech commercialization will be a priority alongside efforts to stimulate the agricultural economy in rural areas of the state.
Coker steps into the role at a challenging moment for Maryland. The state faces a $3 billion budget deficit and ranked 49th in job growth last year, according to a Chamber of Commerce report. Plus, Maryland has lost more federal jobs than any other state amid widespread cuts.
Read on for his takes on attracting new tech companies to Maryland and expanding global trade partnerships.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
How is the commerce department addressing tech talent and retention?
We have great incentive packages that include loans, grants and tax credits. We have a strong portfolio to help not only attract businesses to the state, but also retain and support those already here. We want to help them grow, and those incentive packages should be leveraged to do just that.
Similarly, on the talent front, there are programs and incentives that help employers upskill their workforce. Yesterday, we were in Cecil County visiting a major employer facing workforce challenges, and we made them aware of some of the opportunities our Department of Labor offers to support workforce development.
When talking about these incentive packages, most of them are finance-based, and that makes sense, since businesses are in business to make money. But another asset Maryland has is our culture and our values. We’ve encountered business partners who appreciate that — who give us credit for having a welcoming culture and values that align with their own.
What are some of those upskilling programs?
The state has been placing increasing emphasis on apprenticeship programs and internships.
Just two days ago, we were in Harford County and the president of Harford Community College discussed developing a curriculum to adapt to the needs of a major local employer. The college met with folks at Aberdeen Proving Ground to understand their workforce needs and built a curriculum to address them. That’s the type of partnership we’re aiming for. It’s never too late, but we want to be early.
We recognize that part of growing the ecosystem is developing the workforce. We are advocating for our academic institutions to increase their focus on quantum, AI and cyber.
With federal policies reshaping international trade and investment, how is Maryland positioning itself to attract foreign companies and global investment?
Maryland has a fabulous program, the Global Gateway program, which allows foreign companies to come to Maryland and get financial assistance during their early stages as they determine whether Maryland is the best fit for their company. We provide them with space, a level of coaching, and help them understand the Maryland and US markets at large.
We were in Ireland and the United Kingdom earlier this year, and in April, the governor led a trade mission to Japan and South Korea to let those nations and their companies know the assets that we have.
Next month, we’ll be going to talk to Canadian businesses and government officials about relocating and investing in Maryland. The following month, we’ll take a trip to the Middle East as well. We realize that we need to encourage foreign investment in Maryland and also give our companies opportunities to grow their markets, not just here, but elsewhere.
Which specific sectors or regions do you see as poised for growth in Maryland?
One thing that I’ve learned since I’ve been in the job is that growing tourism brings a significant and almost immediate return on investment. Tourism throughout Maryland is great, and we want to continue to grow that.
Folks hear about the lighthouse sectors, and we selected those sectors because that’s where the world is going. Quantum artificial intelligence is the first lighthouse sector; the second one is computational health out of the life sciences industry. Given the I-270 corridor, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and our academic institutions, life sciences are a significant growth area.
