Downtown : Innovation + Job News

What Maryland company is behind the HD in the latest iteration of Microsoft's Zune HD? That would be Ibiquity Digital Corp., a Columbia, MD-based technology company. It's HD Radio technology powers the Zune's HD Radio receive, enabling listeners to listen to higher quality sound than available via traditional radios.

If you're not familiar with HD Radio, you're not alone. In development for about ten years, the new radio technology has flown under the public's radar, but it is the future of radio. Essentially the same as AM and FM radio, HD radio broadcasters send out signals that are then picked up by listeners' receivers.

Unlike traditional radio, however, HD radio stations emit a mixed signal comprised of both analog and digital transmissions. Using the same frequencies allotted to analog stations, the addition of the digital band enables radio stations to transmit multiple broadcasts and also include textual data. HD receivers pick up the signals as they bounce of off buildings and other objects, providing crystal clear sound due to designs that enable them to sort through the reflected signals and reduce static, hissing, popping and fades.

"We are very excited about the launch of HD Radio technology on Microsoft's Zune HD. This brings a vast new group of consumers the high-quality, innovative HD2/HD3 programming only available through HD Radio broadcasts. Microsoft is blazing a trail for a whole new generation of small, hand-held HD Radio enabled products," says Bob Struble, president and CEO of Ibiquity.

With more than 3,000 HD Radio stations and an ever increasing number of auto manufacturers and electronics device makers embracing the technology, Ibiquity was reportedly able to add $21 million in backing from investors in August.

Microsoft'sZune HD, in 16GB and 32GB versions, is set for release on Sept. 15.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Bob Struble, Ibiquity

The upcoming 2010 Census will create approximately 11,350 jobs throughout Maryland, according to the Maryland State Department of Business & Economic Development.

The Census Bureau will open nine local census offices across the state by October. Three offices located in Baltimore, Frederick and Largo have already opened, with six more expected to open during the fall in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Maryland's Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and one additional office Baltimore City.

Hundreds of census takers and other administrative staff will be hired in the Baltimore City area for work that will begin in March 2010, says Sylvia Ballinger, a U.S. Census spokesperson.

"Recruiting will begin in November and training will start in 2010," she says.

The Baltimore County Data Capture Center, one of only three national data collection centers in the country, will continue to accept applications. Data capture centers will process the 2010 census questionnaires as households across the U.S. return them. The 236,500 sq. ft facility will bring some 2500 jobs to Baltimore County and will process about 40 percent of the census forms returned by respondents.

Anyone interested in applying for a seasonal position should call 866-861-2010 to submit an application.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Sylvia Ballinger, U.S. Census Bureau

Federal employees at the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Metro West complex are getting new digs. The SSA plans to move its 1600 employees from its current location at 300 N. Greene Street in West Baltimore to a new office building in Northwest Baltimore near the Reisterstown Plaza Metro station.

The 538,000 square-foot office building and 1,076 square-foot garage will be built on an 11.3-acre parcel of land at 6100 Wabash Avenue that will be leased to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA is currently seeking a developer to complete the building by 2012.

The move from the technologically obsolete West Baltimore offices is not a part of any stimulus project, according to Rochelle Spector, City Councilwoman of the 5^th District where the new offices will be built. However, it will have the same impact as stimulus money would act as an economic generator for the next four decades.

"This is a major anchor for Baltimore City. It will promote further development for that area, including more residential, office and retail spaces. This has already benefited our area. For the first time in the Park Heights area in almost 40 years we have one-family homes being built so that people can live, work and play here. That's a real plus. This is not stimulus but it accomplishes exactly what we need to do to get people to live and work in Baltimore city," she says.

The planned office complex is the first stage of a larger development centered on the metro station at Reisterstown Plaza. It will include housing, retail space and offices. It is part of an initiative by the state of Maryland to create transit-centered mixed-use developments. The Reisterstown location could become a model for similar developments.

The SSA project that could cost upwards of $60 million will bring new jobs first in construction and later in retail and other sectors to the area.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Rochelle Spector, 5th District City Councilwoman

The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) has reached a deal with Plasmonix, Inc. that grants the company license to its metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)patents. The agreement stipulates that Plasmonix creates a new spin-off company located in Maryland.

MEF technology dramatically increases the sensitivity and speed of a broad range of diagnostic and biological assays for DNA and for proteins. It has multiple applications in clinical diagnostics and homeland security.

One real world application of MEF technology will detect the elevated enzymes associated with a heart attack in 20 seconds as a patient is transported via ambulance to the hospital. From a security perspective, it can be used to rapidly detect minute amounts of biohazard agents.

The new company will be dedicated to bringing the MEF technology developed by UMBI's Institute of Flourescence to the marketplace.

"MEF is a major breakthrough for biological diagnostics and the spin-off of Plasmonix is just one example of the ways that UMBI addresses important human needs by bringing new technologies from the laboratory bench to the marketplace," says Dr. Jonathan Gottlieb, director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization for UMBI.

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have teamed up to train postdoctoral research fellows from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other federal labs in the region on starting technology-based companies.

The joint project, a result of a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Partnerships for Innovation program, will establish an ACTiVATE at NIH program in Montgomery County. It builds on a successful ACTiVATE program at UMBC that trains mid-career women to start companies using technologies developed at area universities and research institutions.

"We are pleased to expand the ACTiVATE® model to Montgomery County and to offer the program to the talented group of scientists working as postdocs at NIH and other federal labs in the region. In the course of four years, the program at UMBC has trained 92 women and launched over 25 companies; we hope to bring that same success to this new venture," says Stephen Auvil, assistant vice president for research at UMBC and a co-principal investigator on the NSF award

Intended to stem the flow of highly skilled, postdoctoral fellows at NIH who leave the state each year, the new program will provide postdocs with the training and support needed to start new companies in Maryland or pursue an entrepreneurial career.

Offering postdocs the opportunity to develop new skills that transform research into viable businesses will lead to rewarding career paths and contribute to the growth of Maryland's life sciences industry, and also advance medical science by moving emerging technologies from the lab to the marketplace.

The program will recruit postdoc fellows and members of the business community to form interdisciplinary teams and pursue opportunities for startup companies. The JHU Carey Business School will receive funding under the award to offer ACTiVATE at NIH at their Shady Grove campus in Rockville.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Stephen Auvil, UMBC

Columbia-based Martek Biosciences signed a joint development deal with BP to work on the production of microbial oils for biofuels applications. The respective partners bring a broad technology platform and operational capabilities to advance the development of a step-change technology to convert sugars into biodiesel.

Under the multi-year partnership, Martek and BP will collaborate to establish working prototypes for cost effective microbial biodiesel production through fermentation. Researched for more than 20 years, the challenge will be to adapt the technology to the needs of the biofuels market with regard to product profile and economics.

"Martek is pleased to partner with BP's Alternative Energy team, to combine our unique algae-based technologies and intellectual property for the creation of sustainable and affordable technology for microbial biofuel production," says Steve Dubin, Martek CEO.

BP will contribute up to $10 million for this initial phase of its collaboration with Martek, utilizing the company's expertise in microbial oil production and BP's production and commercialization experience in biofuels as the jumping off point for the joint project.

Martek will perform the biotechnology research and development related to the initial phase of the project, while BP will offer its integration within the biofuels value chain.

Biodiesel produced from sustainable feedstocks via the fermentation of sugars will offer the potential to deliver greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 80 percent to 90 percent when compared to traditional fossil fuel.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Steve Dubin, Martek

RIP Les Paul, inventor of the solid body electric guitar, but a University of Maryland professor thinks he has the goods to be this century's guitar guru.

Bruce Jacob, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Maryland, College Park, says that the new technology used in his so-called coil guitars enables the instruments to produce more sounds than any other guitar currently on store shelves.

Using his background in electrical and computer engineering to develop the guitar, Jacob launched Coil, LLC in 2006. With a list of the sounds he wanted to the guitars to produce, Jacob with the help of five of his students was able to create Coil guitars that according to the company feature an innovative circuitry unlike anything else available.

The guitars are available on the Coil Web site (www.coil-guitars.com) , starting at $999.

A Baltimore-based technology firm is making money keeping computer systems secure. Sourcefire announced a 38 percent increase in revenues for the second quarter of 2009 -- topping $22.2 million for the quarter compared to $16 million for the same period in 2008. Revenues for the first six months of 2009 reached $40.8 million, an $11.1 million increase compared with the same period last year when revenues were $29.7 million.

This is big news and the best kind of news for Sourcefire. Since it went public in 2007, despite a reputation as one of the most innovative companies in the cybersecurity industry, Sourcefire had failed to turn a profit.

The improvement in financials comes one year after John Burris, a former Citrix exec, took the reigns as CEO.

"When I joined Sourcefire a year ago, we said we would grow revenue, control expenses, leverage our channel relationships, and achieve full year profitability on an adjusted basis. I am very excited by the progress that Sourcefire has made and confident in our ability to continue to execute against these objectives," Burris says.

Under his leadership, Sourcefire continues to grow and deliver new and innovative security solutions. Most recently, the company announced a virtual appliance for protecting leading VMware-based systems, a first in the industry.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: John Burris, Sourcefire