The bioengineering industry in Harford County has received a $3 million investment from state and private partners to help build the state’s first fully integrated algae-based biomanufacturing facility at the CONVERGE Innovation Center in Aberdeen.

Biomanufacturing is a growing $500 billion industry that uses living systems such as algae, bacteria or enzymes to make materials in what is believed to be a cleaner, more efficient way than traditional manufacturing.

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation has granted $1 million to the project, and Actual Venture Capital will provide $2 million.

Brightwave, a manufacturer of photobioreactors that use algae to produce things such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biofuels is headquartered in Howard County and will work with Early Charm Ventures in Baltimore to transform 1,000 square feet of the CONVERGE Innovation Center in Aberdeen into a state-of-the-art production floor.

“This award, strengthened by Harford County’s continued partnership, accelerates CONVERGE’s emergence at light speed as a premier hub for advanced manufacturing and opens the door to exceptional high-value job creation throughout the region,” said Ken Malone, CEO of Early Charm Ventures.

The funding builds on a recent $500,000 investment from the state through the Build Our Future Investment fund which funded the tools that power the biomanufacturing ecosystem at the CONVERGE Innovation Center.

Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said the funding positions Harford County to receive federal investments in the future as the advancements contribute to the greater Baltimore area’s Federal Tech Hub designation. He said that with a growing talent pool, research partners and expanding lab space, Harford County is “well positioned” with biomanufacturing and on track in the county’s plan to be a world-class biomanufacturing hub.”

“[The funding] demonstrates the kind of innovation the federal Tech Hub designation was meant to ignite, and it shows how regional coordination and targeted investment can build an ecosystem that supports cutting-edge companies and creates high-value jobs,” Cassilly said. “We’re excited for what this means not just for CONVERGE, but for the future of biomanufacturing in our county.”
 
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