ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced that he has accepted an invitation to speak at the prestigious Toronto Tech Week 2025 conference. This event will focus on building strong local partnerships with Ontario and creating pathways for Canadian and international tech companies to successfully enter the U.S. market through Howard County. In addition to speaking at the conference, Ball will be joining the Howard County Economic Development Authority for a week-long diplomatic trip in Canada, spanning Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Ottawa. This Trade Mission, led by the Howard County Economic Development Authority, will foster international collaborations and explore partnership opportunities in the IT/Cyber and AgTech sectors.
One of the United States’ greatest allies, and one of the Five Eyes, is our neighbor up north. Maryland and Howard County already have a strong relationship with Canada, and this trip will only deepen our economic ties through agribusiness, food processing, cybersecurity, and education. I look forward to expanding opportunities for Maryland’s businesses and learning more about ways Canada and Howard County can develop new strategies to strengthen our alliance.
Ball will be accompanied by a Howard County delegation consisting of the Howard County Economic Development Authority, Howard County Government, Howard County Office of Workforce Development, Howard Community College and local Howard County business owners. During the week-long diplomatic trip, the delegation will meet with government officials, business leaders and research institutions to promote Howard County as a strategic U.S. market entry point for Canadian companies.
Additionally, Ball and the team will aim to attract foreign direct investment, expand export opportunities for Maryland businesses, and deepen cross-border relationships that align with Ball’s vision for global economic leadership. Canada is Maryland's top trading partner. As such, Ontario and Maryland have a long-established partnership, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on trade and investment. Howard County is building on this relationship.
Ball and the rest of the delegation will be visiting Niagara, Toronto and Ottawa.
Niagara
Organized by the Howard County Economic Development Authority in partnership with Niagara Region and local innovation institutions, this visit will highlight regional strengths in food processing, agtech, advanced manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. It will offer an opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge technology centers, research institutions, and innovation hubs working to advance clean technologies, food safety, and prototyping.
Toronto
The delegation will be taking part in Toronto Tech Week, a weeklong citywide collection of events to connect and celebrate the builders. Ball will be the keynote speaker for this event. He will deliver remarks titled: “Why Local Partnerships Matter- A Gateway to the U.S. Capital Region’s Tech Ecosystem.” Notably, one key agenda item will be to identify a meaningful MOU or agreement between Howard County Economic Development or the Maryland Innovation Center with an Ontario counterpart.
Ottawa
Hosted by Howard County Economic Development Authority in partnership with Invest Ottawa, this forum will connect Ottawa and Howard County, two leading cybersecurity ecosystems driven by proximity to national cyber and defense agencies like the NSA and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. This event will foster cross-border collaboration between companies, innovation hubs, and government partners, helping early-stage and growth cybersecurity businesses build lasting partnerships and explore U.S. and Canadian market opportunities.
Local business leaders who will be accompanying the delegation including:
- Foodco USA CEO Seema Sigh
- Cyberlinx Solutions CEO James Jean-Baptiste
- Sentinel Forge Technologies CEO Colin Hamill