Governor Larry Hogan Addresses Business Leaders at French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Emphasizes Maryland’s Economic Advantages During Trade Mission to Paris Air Show

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today delivered remarks at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of an ongoing economic development trade mission to Europe, which includes the Paris Air Show in Paris, France. The governor was joined by French officials and business leaders, as well as representatives from the United States’ and Canadian Embassies in Paris, and state officials and members of the Maryland delegation at the event, which was hosted by the Office of Science & Technology of the French Embassy in the U.S.

“Maryland is proud of our excellent relationship with France, which is evident through the success of the French-headquartered companies in our state,” said Governor Hogan. “Looking ahead, we want to further expand Maryland’s relationship with France and find ways to do even more together in the future.”

For the past two years, the Hogan administration has made economic development a top priority, attracting nearly 100,000 new jobs to the state. Maryland offers numerous advantages to the international business community, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and aerospace technology – key industries represented at the Paris Air Show that are critical to the state’s economy.

“Maryland is a thriving location for space exploration, satellite technology and research, and design and manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles and robotics,” Governor Hogan continued. “In the emerging field of cyber security, Maryland has become the cyber capital of the world. There is no better time to invest in Maryland than right now.”

More than 1,200 private sector cybersecurity companies are located in Maryland, as well as premiere cyber-related federal agencies and military installations, including the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, and the National Cyber Security Center of Excellence.

In addition, Maryland remains a leader in the aerospace and defense industries, thanks in part to the state’s highly skilled workforce and proximity to agencies such as the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Joint Base Andrews, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

The state is also home to 70 of the top 100 defense contractors in the United States, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, BAE Systems, and General Dynamics. Maryland also has many of the nation’s top aerospace companies, making it one of the world’s most competitive and extensive aerospace and defense clusters.