Howard County Trying To Attract Companies From Korea, Other Countries With New Innovation Center

Howard County officials are planning to dedicate space in a newly renovated innovation center to house startups from South Korea looking to make a “soft landing” in the North American market.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball recently signed a memorandum of understanding, signaling a new partnership between the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) and Born2Global Center, a South Korea-based startup accelerator. The partnership will include the creation of a “soft landing” site at the Howard County Innovation Center, a five-floor, 63,000-square-foot center intended to support growing local businesses that is being constructed along Columbia Gateway Drive in Columbia.

Born2Global Center selects more than 100 startups determined to have high potential for entering the global market, and provides them with various business growth services. Lawrence Twele, CEO of HCEDA, said under the new partnership, Born2Global will now be able to send over select startups from Korea that are looking to establish a foothold in the U.S. HCEDA is reserving a section in its new innovation center, which is where the Korean startups will be able to set up shop and work while they get acclimated with the new market. The companies will also have access to mentorship, funding and other support services, Twele said.

Click here to read the rest of the article written by Morgan Eichensehr over at the Baltimore Business Journal