The National Institute for Innovation of Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals was announced by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker this month. The institute will be operated by more than 150 companies, nonprofits, educational institutions and state governments. This will include two Maryland universities –  The University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland, Baltimore. The project includes a $250 million investment, $70 million of which is a federal investment.

The goal of the institute will be to bring safe biopharmaceutical products to market faster and to develop workforce training. As Governor Larry Hogan said,

“The University System of Maryland is a tremendous asset in preparing our workforce for the jobs of the future and leading groundbreaking research. This cutting-edge institute will bring together innovators from private industry, higher education, and government to tackle some of the world’s most pressing medical challenges, such as treating cancer and Alzheimer’s, and will advance the biomanufacturing sector in Maryland and across the nation.”

Recently, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake gave out $575,000 in city funds to seven Baltimore companies and organizations that work in innovation and entrepreneurship. The money was given out as part of a one-time funding effort with the Baltimore Development Corp.’s Innovation Fund. The seven recipients of the money included: Innovation Village, Counscious Venture Lab in Innovation Village, Social Innovation Lab, Light City, Baltimore Angels, Impact Hub and Betamore.

Learn more about this initiative and the organizations that received the funding.

A new hotel in Fells Point is moving along on schedule according to Sagamore Development Company. They plan to open Kevin Plank’s Recreation Pier hotel in early 2017. After their purchase of the property in 2014, Sagamore Pendry Baltimore had hoped to open in fall 2016. But now early 2017 has become the goal. They broke ground in spring 2015 and are busy transforming the 100 year old pier and the head house to be a 128 room upscale hotel.

There will be a restored ballroom for weddings and private events. The property has over 10,000 square feet of both indoor and outdoor meeting space. They will also have a three-meal restaurant, a whiskey bar and an outdoor pool.

Full Tilt brewery is planning to open a space at 308 Washington Avenue in Towson Nick Fertig explained that they wanted to open in Baltimore with their brew pub but couldn’t find the right balance between location and cost. Now, along with cousin Dan Baumiller, he feels that the project is underway. The space they have found in Towson includes great architecture.

As Fertig said, “This is a huge step for us. This is the biggest support we have ever gotten and now we are lining everything up and putting renderings together.”

So this could be quite exciting. Developers are just now showing off their plays for the revitalization of 16 acres in Baltimore’s Old Town. They are discussing the possibility of having apartments, affordable housing, a grocery store and retail areas.

A large group of experts are working together on the project including Beatty Development Group, Henson Development Group, Commercial Corp. and Philadelphia-based affordable housing management company Mission First Housing.

Read all about the project and the plans here.

German grocer Lidl is soon opening an 800,000 square foot regional headquarters and distribution center in Cecil, County. It is planning to invest $100 million as part of its overall plan to expand in the Unites States.

The warehouse will be in the Principio Business Park. They are planning to create 100 full-time jobs and will open by 2018.

At the moment, Lidl operates about 10,000 stores in 27 countries through Europe. With their plans to move into the United States, they are looking at stores from New Jersey to Georgia and across Maryland. They want to build stand-alone stores that are 36,000 square foot and are on sites with at least 3.5 acres and 150 parking spaces.

Learn more details about Lidl and their plans.

Good news for Maryland. We have gained 2500 jobs in May with a decrease in unemployment to 4.5%, down from 4.6% in April. In the private sector, jobs grew by 1100 in May with education and health services gaining 6200 jobs. Manufacturing jobs grew by 600.

See all the facts here and have reason to feel optimistic about what’s happening in our area.

A new CEO has been named to the University of Maryland Medical System at its flagship hospital. Dr. Mohan Suntha will take over as of September 1, 2016 as the CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center.

As University of Maryland Medical System CEO Robert A. Chrencik said in a statement,

“Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his acumen for clinical care and hospital management, which will serve UMMC well at a time of evolution in health care delivery in Maryland and throughout the country.”

Learn more about Dr. Suntha and the roll he will play.

Something new is always happening at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, they have a new film incubator that is trying to cultivate new ideas for producing films. The program is called Bold Voices, New Paradigms Incubator and it’s part of the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund in Film and Media Studies.

As Roberto Buso-Garcia, director of the fund and Hopkin’s Master of Arts in Film and Media program explained, “Most incubators are trying to figure out new uses for technology. With ours the difference is our incubator focuses on ideas and concepts, and technology is one aspect of what our projects will take into consideration.”

Out of the 75 applications for the first go-around, 18 projects were selected to participate. The program includes a screenplay boot camp and one-on-one meetings with mentors in the field. When the program is over in June, participants can then apply for funding from the innovation fund to continue with their work.

Learn more about the program.