In Montgomery County, cutting-edge industries and a highly-skilled diverse workforce go hand-in-hand.
Talent is Montgomery County’s greatest competitive advantage, says Jared Smith, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. “Global companies choose Montgomery County because they know they can find a highly skilled, diverse workforce — many with specialized skills in high-growth industry sectors like AI, quantum, advanced satellite communications, defense and biotech,” he says.
Montgomery County, the most populous county in Maryland with its 1-million-and-counting population, boasts a high rate of educational attainment (over 60% of residents 25 years or older have a bachelor’s degree; a third have received a post-graduate education) and also had three of the most diverse cities in the U.S. in 2025 (No. 1 Silver Spring, No. 2 Gaithersburg and No. 4 Germantown per WalletHub).
The county has also been building its international partnerships, participating in more than a dozen economic development trips to multiple countries since 2023 and putting the region on the map as a STEM hub similar in scope to Boston, San Francisco, San Diego and the Research Triangle. To date, 30 companies based in Montgomery County have attended these trips.
A Global Hub for Innovation
In a press briefing following two trips to Taiwan and India in March 2026, County Executive Marc Elrich noted the ubiquity of AI in both nations and that in order to remain competitive, investment in advanced technology across all industry sectors is paramount.
“Montgomery County government, the state government and our regional partners all play critical roles in helping small or expanding companies accelerate next-generation technology development,” Elrich said. “International engagement and outreach helps create investments and brings more jobs to Montgomery County.”
One significant win in the area was the decision by South Korean biopharmaceutical company Samsung Biologics to select Rockville for its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility, fully acquiring a former GSK site in a $280 million deal in March 2026. The site was chosen for its proximity to the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with a network of private companies and research organizations supporting everything from discovery to manufacturing. The end-to-end CDMO will develop its own products while also continuing to develop GSK products.
U.K.-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which got its start in Montgomery County in 2007 after acquiring MedImmune, has strong connections to the local business infrastructure. Last year, AstraZeneca opened a $300 million, 84,000-sq.-ft. cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, followed by announcing a $2 billion expansion of its manufacturing capacity at a Frederick site and a new Gaithersburg facility.
An Ideal Business Ecosystem
With easy access to three international airports, Montgomery County, which spans 500 square miles, is home to 18 federal agencies and 36 federal labs, including the FDA, the NIH, the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE). Offering a strategic location, Montgomery County is uniquely positioned for investment opportunity. Since 2019, over $10 billion in private equity and venture capital has been invested in companies headquartered in Montgomery County.
The county also hosts a robust satellite and advanced communications sector, which employs over 4,500 employees locally and has 121 satellite and advanced communications establishments, including Hughes Network Systems and Intellian’s $100-million Advanced Development Center in Rockville.
“Montgomery County has earned its reputation as a top destination for innovation — for companies large and small — by fostering a business ecosystem that is supportive and allows them to scale,” says Jared Smith. “From global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics and Novavax to emerging startups like Vaisala X-weather, PediaMetrix and Silvec, industry leaders here have access to the resources and partnerships they need to turn bold ideas into reality.”
To date, the county has 150 headquarters of companies that have over 100 employees — with GEICO, Total Wine, Marriott, Goodwill and Lockheed Martin among that group.
“Montgomery County has earned its reputation as a top destination for innovation — for companies large and small — by fostering a robust business ecosystem that is supportive and allows them to scale.”
— Jared Smith, President and CEO, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
A Range of Opportunity
More than 350 life sciences companies can be found in Montgomery County. The region ranks third in the United States for biohealth clusters, behind only Boston-Cambridge and the San Francisco Bay area, according to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.
The county has a workforce of 40,000 in this sector available for a diverse set of verticals, including R&D, vaccine research, cell & gene therapies, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. The largest technology and life sciences trade association in Maryland, the Maryland Tech Council, aims to propel the state to become the top innovation economy of those sectors in the United States. One workforce initiative that will help achieve that goal is BioHub Maryland, which offers biopharmaceutical manufacturing training and resources to workers from different backgrounds, including veterans. Maryland Tech Council CEO Kelly Schulz says Maryland is a leader in the life sciences, biotech and biomanufacturing. To date, 300 people have received training at BioHub Maryland, providing an equal mix of workforce and economic development.
“Our long-term vision is to be able to be supportive of the entire ecosystem,” Schulz says. “Another long-term goal is to be able to be supportive of the industry that currently exists in Montgomery County and in Maryland so that we become their training provider.”
Montgomery County is also home to a unique model for higher education: The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), which partners with nine universities in the University System of Maryland, hosting them all at one campus in Rockville. “The student body at USG reflects the unique diversity of Montgomery County,” says USG Executive Director and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University System of Maryland Anne M. Khademian. “Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, and many are balancing school with work, family and other responsibilities.”
Other top-tier higher educations in the area include Montgomery College, the top community college in Maryland and 17th in the U.S. (WalletHub), the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins Georgetown University, American University, George Washington University and Howard University.
This Investment Profile was created under the auspices of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. Visit thinkmoco.com
