Gloucestershire and Howard County, Maryland USA partnership strengthened with signing of Letter of Intent

The Invest in Gloucestershire team, part of Gloucestershire County Council, were delighted to recently host a delegation from Howard County, in the US State of Maryland, culminating in the signing of a Letter of Intent which aspires to foster strong business, enterprise, educational and cultural links between the two counties.

The Invest in Gloucestershire team, part of Gloucestershire County Council, were delighted to recently host a delegation from Howard County, in the US State of Maryland, culminating in the signing of a Letter of Intent which aspires to foster strong business, enterprise, educational and cultural links between the two counties.

Howard County, located between Baltimore and Washington DC, is the US capital of cyber security, in close proximity to America’s National Security Agency (NSA) and US Cyber Command. It also has strengths across agri-tech, digital healthcare and advanced engineering.

This mirrors Gloucestershire’s economy, being the UK’s cyber heartland with the Government’s Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the development Golden Valley, the largest network of high growth agri-tech firms in the UK, a pioneering National Health Service (NHS) Trust and a range of growing engineering businesses.

The delegation from Howard County included local government County Executive, Dr Calvin Ball, the senior management team of their Economic Development Authority, President of Howard County Community College and CEO’s of three cyber companies from Maryland Innovation Center.

The recently opened MX Hub8 Innovation Centre in Cheltenham - jointly delivered in a partnership between Cheltenham Borough Council and Hub8 by Plexal, supporting the growth of the local tech community - played host to a series of presentations from strategic partners across Gloucestershire’s cyber, IT, health and educational organisations. This included CyNam, those working on the new Golden Valley development, the University of Gloucestershire and a case study from a Gloucestershire company. In addition, there was a session on the opportunities in Howard County and  overviews from the three US firms.

The visit also included a tour of the University of Gloucestershire’s new FuturePark - their brand new space at Park Campus with a multi-million investment in new facilities for digital related education and research, as well as the Advanced Digital Academy at Gloucestershire College, where the delegation also met some of the cyber degree apprentices. 

A key objective of this partnership will include fostering a two-way trade initiative whereby firms across various sectors in Gloucestershire work with Howard County to develop business in the US market, whilst Gloucestershire will work with expanding firms in Howard County that are looking to set up a new UK operation – thereby bringing new job opportunites to Gloucestershire.

Skills and education will be a key component of the partnership. Our academic institutions will explore opportunities for shared learning, new course development and the possibilities for exchange programmes.

There will also be an ongoing series of sector-themed webinars, utilising the expertise in both counties. These will broaden and deepen our respective clusters of excellence through the sharing knowledge, highlighting best practice and uncovering business opportunities.

The signing of a Letter of Intent between the two counties, endorsed by Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Howard County Government and  Economic Development Authority, acts a a framework to move these initatives forward.

Cllr. Stephan Fifield, Deputy Leader of Gloucestershire County Council said ”This new initiative between Gloucestershire and Howard County aligns our respective economic strengths and I look forward to welcoming US firms to Gloucestershire and seeing our companies expand internationally, along with the evolution of new educational partnerships and the stengthening of our clusters of excellence”

Cllr. Rowena Hay, Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council said “As we embark on the development of Golden Valley with the potential to build on Cheltenham's place as a global leader in technology and security and which unlocks vital local growth and regeneration, such a collaborative international programme is very timely. We are excited to welcome companies across a range of sectors keen to harness our expertise in resilience and security and share best practice across sectors”.

Dr Calvin Ball, County Executive Howard County said “Our European Mission Trip allowed us to forge transformational connections – like this Letter of Intent with Gloucestershire County Council and Cheltenham Borough Council, setting the stage for long-term, strategic global engagements and collaborative growth,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “From strengthening ties through joint activities and programs in cybersecurity, digital technology, advanced engineering, agri-tech and health technologies, I look forward to watching this partnership grow and proposer, and seeing all the great things we can achieve together.”

Jennifer Jones, Chief Executive Officer Howard County Economic Development Authority said “Our partnership with Gloucestershire through the signing of this Letter of Intent marks an exciting milestone for Howard County. By aligning our economic assets, this collaboration opens the door for our businesses to explore new markets, attract international investment, and create valuable opportunities for local job growth. Together, we’re building a bridge that will drive innovation and shared prosperity for years to come."