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Maryland highlights quantum, computational biology and navigation tech as lighthouse sectors; $27.5M proposed for quantum initiative
Summary
Commerce leaders told the Ways and Means Committee the administration will prioritize three 'lighthouse' subsectors — quantum, computational biology and position navigation and timing — and cited a capital initiative to leverage $1 billion with $27.5 million requested in the governor's budget for quantum work in College Park.
Kevin Anderson, secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce, and Ricardo Venn, deputy secretary for innovation and growth, told the Ways and Means Committee that the administration will concentrate economic development resources on three “lighthouse” subsectors: computational biology, quantum technologies, and position navigation and timing (PNT).
Venn said the aim is to leverage Maryland’s existing federal, research and industry assets — including the University of Maryland, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Naval Research Laboratory and NASA Goddard — to build ecosystems that can attract private investment and retain STEM graduates. He highlighted a recent announcement with the University of Maryland and IonQ (named in the presentation) creating a Capital for Quantum initiative that the administration said could spur about $1,000,000,000 in combined public, state, federal and university investments over five years, with $27,500,000 proposed in the governor’s FY26 budget for the initiative.
Commerce officials framed quantum as critical to future cybersecurity, cryptography, secure communications, artificial intelligence, space capabilities and life-science applications. The department identified Maryland assets supporting quantum research in College Park and cited the state’s life-science hubs in Baltimore and the I-270 corridor for computational biology work. On PNT, officials pointed to existing military and aerospace assets and companies such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin and research centers including Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and NASA Goddard.
Delegates asked about long‑term sustainment of investments. Delegate Wu noted that quantum and similar technologies are long‑term bets and asked how the state can ensure continuity and private investment if leadership or priorities change over time. Commerce officials answered that the strategy is to build public–private partnerships and ecosystems — naming TEDCO and MEDCO as partners — and to use state investment to catalyze private capital. Ricardo Venn and Steven Rice emphasized the administration’s intent to use state funding to attract additional private and federal investment rather than to fully underwrite long-term commercialization on its own.
The department also flagged retention challenges: Anderson said only about 38% of Maryland’s STEM graduates remain in the state after graduation, and officials argued that stronger industry ecosystems would help retain that talent. Commerce said the proposed lighthouse focus and site-certification work would be coordinated through a reconfigured economic competitiveness subcabinet and in partnership with institutions such as the University System of Maryland and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
No funding or program changes were enacted during the briefing; Commerce sought input from the committee and described follow-up meetings and technical conversations as next steps.
