UMD MATRIX Lab Event Aims To Connect Southern Maryland’s Small Businesses With Big Opportunities

CALIFORNIA, Md. — The University of Maryland MATRIX Lab is on a mission: to connect businesses, federal partners and academics in STEM, starting right here in Southern Maryland.

Maryland Autonomous Technologies Research Innovation and eXploration Lab, or MATRIX Lab, is part of UMD’s A. James Clark School of Engineering. The lab is a high-tech research and education facility with unique features built to advance autonomy and uncrewed systems. The lab serves industry, government and academia, and maintains multiple affiliations and partnerships that help connect Southern Maryland with industry leaders around the country.

The Industry Open House will take place July 15 at the USMSM SMART Building, 44219 Airport Road, California, MD. The event starts at 9 a.m. for small businesses, which will get to engage in panel discussions, fireside chats, listen to keynote speeches from industry leaders and participate in networking opportunities. Stephen Cricchi, executive director of NAVAIR, will give the afternoon keynote speech. The community is welcome to attend the open house portion of the event, starting at 3 p.m.

Registration for the event is open online, and the event is free and open to the public.

According to the MATRIX Lab’s assistant director for research development, Jamison Watson, the most pressing mission is to serve the people — especially the small-business owners who make up the fabric of their industry. The Industry Open House is an essential part of serving as that “bridge” between small businesses and big opportunity.

“We think this is the beginning of fostering those relationships between small and large businesses,” Watson said. He cited the opportunities for business owners to connect to federal program managers as well as individuals at the university and in local government who can help with funding opportunities.

Not only does this help small businesses build connections, but it helps large businesses recruit local talent for projects and contracts. Businesses of all sizes are welcome, and organizers believe they can all benefit from the event, whether it’s through networking, learning more about local resources or seeing what the MATRIX Lab offers.

With the range of businesses in Southern Maryland and the local connections to the Navy base, Watson said he sees plenty of future possibilities for all types of businesses connected to STEM — defense contracting, energy companies, consultants who work with the federal government, and underwater research and operations, to name a few.

Invited partners include the UAS Research and Operations Center, the University of Maryland, College Park, the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM), HII Mission Technologies, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the St. Mary’s County Economic Development Office, federal program managers and acquisition officials, state and local economic development leaders, as well as large defense contractors and primes such as Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton and KBR.

There’s still time to register for the MATRIX Lab’s Industry Open House on July 15. Learn more about the event online, or, even better, register now to be a part of one of the top STEM opportunities in Southern Maryland and show everyone what your business can do.

“We really want this event to help us showcase the talent we have here,” Watson said. “We want to help inspire connections, inspire ideas and help the community learn how to make the most of their resources. It’s all about figuring out how we can help.”

---