(Frederick, MD) Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc (FITCI) was awarded Rural Maryland Council’s Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund Grant for 2022 for the Ag-Tech Lab project, part of FITCI’s new Innovation Center.
The funding, along with help from collaborators and partners like RoosterBio and a grant from the USDA, will built and outfit an agricultural technology-focused biotech lab in FITCI’s upcoming Innovation Center.
“Agriculture is a key driver of our local economy,” says FITCI CEO Kathie Callahan Brady. “Ag-Tech is a growing industry and will continue to balloon over the next few years as farmers and producers adapt to our fast-changing world. Having a dedicated Ag-Tech lab at FITCI will help us assist Ag-Tech startups that want to explore ideas, grow, and impact our futures for the better. Not only just in Frederick, but the whole world. We are very excited to have a number of supporters on board, especially RMC, to explore and build innovative Ag-Tech in Frederick.”
Construction on the lab is planned to begin next year as part of FITCI’s “FITCI 2.0” initiative. Further details about this development will follow shortly.
The Rural Maryland Council is an independent state agency that is located within the Maryland Department of Agriculture and identifies and addresses concerns and challenges facing rural Maryland. RMC facilitates and spurs collaborative activities and problem solving and provides much needed, and greatly appreciated, financial support to organizations and agencies throughout the state.Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc. (FITCI) was founded in 2004 to foster entrepreneurial activity in the information technology and life sciences industries within Frederick County. FITCI’s mission is to encourage innovation and accelerate the development of commercially viable technology-based businesses by providing a nurturing and supportive environment. FITCI supports early-stage biotechnology, information technology, and renewable energy start-up companies by offering office and wet lab space, business services, and strategic support to local entrepreneurs.
