[Thursday, May 28] The Charles County Economic Development Department joins the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) and the Energetics Technology Center to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub (MEIH), a new campus designed to accelerate energetics production, process innovation, and advanced manufacturing.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub in Charles County and to welcome new and expanding investment into our local economy,” said Director of the Charles County Economic Development Department Jim Chandler, CEcD. “This project strengthens our economic base, drives private sector growth, and expands opportunities for advanced manufacturing, innovation, and high-quality jobs. It also reinforces the Western Charles County Technology Corridor as a competitive hub for defense, energetics, and technology-driven industries.”
The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation received $50 million from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division to support the development of the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub.
Bringing together industry, academia, and government partners, the hub will also address critical challenges in the industrial base, improve production efficiency, and accelerate innovation in both existing and next-generation energetic material systems. By expanding advanced manufacturing capacity and strengthening research, testing, and production capabilities near Naval Support Facility Indian Head, the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub advances the mission by driving growth across the Western Charles County Technology Corridor, one of the National Capital Region’s most significant emerging defense and technology growth corridors.
"Our Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub is a transformational investment in Charles County and Southern Maryland," said Dave Dowell, CEO, ACMI Properties. "Sparked by a $50 million award from NSWC Indian Head Division, ACMI is building on that commitment by attracting more than $200 million in private capital—accelerating construction, creating high-quality jobs, and attracting leading defense technology companies to the region. This project isn't just about strengthening America's industrial base, it's about planting an innovation economy that turns breakthrough ideas into production-ready capabilities, faster than ever before."
Stretching from Indian Head to Bryans Road and the Maryland Airport, the Western Charles County Technology Corridor connects Naval Support Facility Indian Head, the Navy’s center for energetics, with development-ready sites, transportation infrastructure, and growing private sector investment. The Department of Defense continues to modernize production capacity and strengthen critical defense supply chains, which increases the strategic importance of the corridor.
To support that effort, the U.S. Navy plans to invest approximately $2.7 billion over the next decade in modernization projects related to energy systems, infrastructure, facilities, and mission support at Indian Head.
Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins added, “Investments like the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation and the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub strengthen Charles County’s position within the defense ecosystem and reinforce the importance of the Western Charles County Technology Corridor. We look forward to continued collaboration with our public and private partners across government, industry, and academia as we build on this momentum and expand opportunities across Charles County, the Southern Maryland region, the state of Maryland, and the national defense sector.”
For more information about the Western Charles County Technology Corridor and project updates as they become available, visit www.MeetCharlesCounty.com.
