August 9, 2019

Media Contacts:
Scott L. Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412

COLUMBIA – On Monday, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will attend the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) and Born2Global Center (B2G), a Korean accelerator. The objective of the MOU is to establish a partnership between HCEDA and B2G in order to create a soft-landing zone at the Howard County Innovation Center for qualified South Korean startups.

“Earlier this year I signed an MOU to launch our innovation center to support growing businesses and budding entrepreneurs. Now, we are taking another big step forward to make our County a global destination for bold and innovative startups,” said Ball. “Howard County has a strong connection to our neighbors in South Korea, with the highest percentage of Korean- American residents in Maryland and over 170 Korean-American-owned businesses. Now, we will partner with the ‘Silicon Valley’ of South Korea to grow our local economy.”

Born2Global Center (B2G) is a South Korean government agency which contributes to the national startup ecosystem. Each year, B2G selects over 100 startups with high potential for entering the global market. B2G provides services such as professional consulting in law, patents, accounting, marketing, investment and business development. 50 of the startups are selected to reside in the business space known as the “K-Global Startup Hub” and receive consulting services at the Startup Campus. The Startup Campus in Pangyo is the “Silicon Valley” of South Korea, emerging as the latest hot spot in the thriving startup ecosystem.  

WHAT:           MOU signing to establish a partnership between HCEDA and B2G at the Innovation Center to assist qualified South Korean startups.
                                    
WHEN:           Monday, August 12th from 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

WHERE:        Howard County Innovation Center (6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD)

WHO:             Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive
                        Yumi Hogan, First Lady of Maryland
                        Lawrence Twele, CEO, Howard County Economic Development Authority
                        Benjamin Wu, Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce
                        Dr. Dokyu Lee, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in USA, Counselor
                        Jong-Kap Kim, President, Born2Global

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