Baltimore daily roundup: ‘Baltimore strong’ Power Moves; proximity fosters innovation; FutureMakers’ manufacturing pivot

‘We are Maryland tough, and we are Baltimore strong’

Maryland and Baltimore both continue demonstrating resilience and strength after last week’s Key Bridge collapse, as various sectors mobilize to address the situation.

Elsewhere in our Power Moves, the upcoming dedication of the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as a collaboration between Towson StarTUp and ReBokeh, highlight ongoing efforts to support innovation in the region. Despite challenges, Baltimore showcases its determination through various institutional initiatives and job transitions.

➡️ Find out more about these developments in our latest Power Moves here.

‘Boom, step up in the room’

Despite criticisms of the layout and functionality, Building 20 on MIT’s campus became a hotbed of cross-disciplinary breakthroughs, including numerous Nobel Prize winners’ work. The space’s temporary nature and chaotic layout of the space unintentionally led to close interactions among experts from diverse fields, facilitating collaboration, idea exchange and, ultimately, the development of groundbreaking technologies.

Our CEO Chris Wink’s latest column uses this story to highlight the research showing physical proximity’s pivotal importance to innovation, even despite advancements in remote collaboration technologies.

➡️ Find out more about why place matters in Chris’ full report here.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• April is Entertainment Tech Month in Technical.ly’s editorial calendar. During this time, we’ll focus extra reporting on the various intersections of entertainment and technology, showcasing innovations and entrepreneurial endeavors in Baltimore. Send us ideas! [Technical.ly]

• Rarebreed Ventures’ McKeever Conwell, UpSurge Baltimore’s Kory Bailey and EcoMap Technologies’ Sherrod Davis are among the Baltimore tech leaders appearing at our Builders Conference on May 9.  [Technical.ly]

• Humanoid robots, like those produced by Sunnyvale, California startup Figure AI, could be your next coworkers. [American Inno/National Beat]

• At Towson University, the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program provides STEM students with hands-on learning experiences by arranging visits to places like the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. [Towson University]

• Baltimore-based educational materials company FutureMakers, led by Matt Barinholtz, successfully shifted its focus to manufacturing with a new space at Union Collective. [Maryland Inno]

• It’s the dawn of the AI gadget era, with companies like Humane, Rabbit, Brilliant and Meta preparing to launch new devices. [The Verge]

🗓️ On the Calendar