Industries
Serving the Biggest Industries in the World
Howard County is situated in a highly supportive business ecosystem — surrounded by Fortune 500 companies, major healthcare systems and 50 federal agencies. With such high-profile establishments in the county supporting some of the biggest industries in the world, relocating firms have access to a large pool of customers with which to do business. Whether it’s information technology, manufacturing, healthcare or agriculture, Howard County offers a vibrant economy with cutting edge-innovation centers and over 62% of its adult population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Howard County Office of Workforce Development
Collaborating with local businesses, the Howard County Office of Workforce Development works with a pool of over 150,000 prospects in the county and almost 2.5 million in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro area to connect companies with talent across industries.
Agriculture
Need help starting your food processing business or diversifying your farm services? Howard County is cultivated in the field of agriculture, and offers the resources, economic insights and local support to take your business to a new level.
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Manufacturing
Howard County’s central location in Maryland and access to I-95 strategically positions manufacturing businesses for easy access to government contracting opportunities.
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Information Technology
Innovation is the motherboard that drives Howard County — supported by the Maryland Innovation Center for startups and the collaborative business environment for over 300 companies at Columbia Gateway Innovation District.
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Professional & Financial Services
Professional & Financial Services is the largest industry in Howard County with more than 48,000 employed and a projected growth of another 15% over the next five years.
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Cybersecurity and Howard County
Howard County’s strategic location, proximity to Fort George Meade, and key research institutions like Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, make it a prime hub for the growing cybersecurity industry.
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Life Science and Health Innovation
With the state-of-the-art Johns Hopkins Howard County Hospital and research center, close to 200,000 employed in the medical industry and thousands graduating from area medical colleges each year, Central Maryland is the proving ground for innovative Life Science and Health Innovation businesses.
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Building a More Connected Regional Economy
Howard County’s Role in a Connected Regional Economy We spend a lot of time talking with companies about why they should locate in Howard County, and those conversations have changed over the past several years. Increasingly, the questions we hear are regional: Where is the workforce? How close are the airports and ports? How quickly
SPARK Internship Program Connects Emerging Talent with Real-World Experience
Employers Told Us Where the Gaps Were. SPARK Worked Backwards From There. Ask a cybersecurity or AI company in Howard County what limits their growth, and talent comes up fast. Not a shortage of interested people but a shortage of people who arrive ready. Employers here have been direct about it. Candidates come out
Food Processor Connect Brings Industry Professionals Together at PastryStar
Food processors face many of the same questions as they grow: How can production become more efficient? How do you maintain consistency as you scale? What new products and processes are shaping the industry? On September 21, Food Processor Connect will bring food processing professionals together at PastryStar in Laurel for an afternoon of learning,