ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore announced this week announced that 43 Maryland businesses will receive a total of $5 million in grants to support their investment in Industry 4.0 technologies. The grants, awarded through the Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 program, aim to help small and mid-sized manufacturers modernize their operations and boost their competitiveness.

The Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 program, administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, focuses on supporting businesses as they adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, such as automation and digitization. Industry 4.0, like smart manufacturing, emphasizes technology’s role in manufacturing and focuses on digitization and automation to boost competitiveness and business growth. These technologies can lead to increased productivity, cost savings, and improved employee retention and skill development.

“As technology continues to evolve, it is necessary that our state programs and business community do the same,” said Governor Moore. “Supporting Maryland’s manufacturing industry with programs like Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 will help numerous businesses remain competitive, create new job opportunities, and increase innovation across the Mid Atlantic.”

The funded projects represent a diverse range of industries, including aerospace and defense, agribusiness, and biomanufacturing. Examples of the approved projects include:

• Investing in an innovative tube bending machine for the production of spacecraft components.
• Implementing advanced sensor integration into unmanned aerial vehicle rotary systems.
• Utilizing a mechanized multi-lens microscope for the evaluation of silicon neural probes.

“This round of Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 grants supports a variety of growing industries–from agribusiness to biomanufacturing to aerospace and defense,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Acting Secretary Harry Coker, Jr. “We’re looking forward to seeing each of these businesses continue expanding their incredible efforts right here in Maryland.”

The 43 grant recipients (PDF), including three in Baltimore County, are located across 17 jurisdictions in Maryland and support more than 2,400 full-time jobs. Governor Moore has proposed increasing funding for the Manufacturing 4.0 program to $6 million in fiscal year 2026. Visit https://commerce.maryland.gov/m4grant to learn more about the program.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Pixabay