TEDCO Funds Makerspaces for Entrepreneurial Growth
TEDCO supports entrepreneurial growth through funding makerspaces. | I95 Business
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A Public Door Into the Frontiers of BioTech and Quantum
TEDCO EXPO 2026 | Oct 11, 2026
Entrepreneurs + Startups | Innovation + Technology | Doing Business
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Justin Ferguson, Innovation Manager
TEDCO PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
By Justin Ferguson, Innovation Manager,
TEDCO Venture Development
- Optical and photonics equipment.
- Incubators, a PCR machine, a nanodrop spectrophotometer, and six workstations.
That is not an inventory of a university physics department and a pharmaceutical lab. It is a description of two makerspaces TEDCO funded in the 2026 award cycle of the Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program, located in Prince George's County and Frederick County, both open to the public.
Ten years ago, a list of what a makerspace held would have included wood, metal, a laser cutter, and a 3D printer. The word making has evolved since then. Today it encompasses photonics and molecular biology, and the possibilities for community spaces have expanded with it.
Two Counties, Two Frontiers:
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In Frederick County, TEDCO funded CELLS BioMakerSpace, the county's first community biotechnology lab, housed within FITCI, Frederick's first business incubator.
"Frederick County has always found a way to make big ideas usable – CELLS BioMakerSpace is the latest example," said Jessica Fitzwater, Frederick County Executive. "By putting a community biotech lab inside FITCI, we're giving residents a genuine on-ramp into a field that's shaping our region's future."
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In Prince George's County, TEDCO funded the Quantum Makerspace, a project of Frontier Technology Institute, anchored at the University of Maryland's Quantum Startup Foundry in College Park. It is currently under development.
Each space sits within an institution that already serves as a hub for its field. This means the equipment is functional rather than decorative, as someone needs to be there who knows how to use it.
Traditionally, the pipeline into biotech has flowed through graduate programs. The goal here is to open a second pipeline accessible to the general public. Think of it as adding roads to a highway. Existing roads led to established destinations: trades, arts, general fabrication, prototyping. Now, new roads lead towards quantum and molecular biology, expanding what's possible.
Why the Frontier Bet Was Easy:
There was little debate about funding optical tables and photon detectors – making has diversified. You can now make things in nearly any niche, not just those involving wood and 3D printers.
Maryland has identified its lighthouse sectors, including quantum. To capitalize on these assets, stitching the ecosystem together within specific niches aligns perfectly with TEDCO's mission. The value proposition isn't about making a wide range of items; it's about making different things in different places, tailored to each location's strengths.