Synagis, produced by MedImmune (Gaithersburg)

• MedImmune’s Synagis product is the first monoclonal antibody approved for the prevention of an infectious disease, as well as the first such drug to be safely used in children.

• Synagis prevents a serious lower respiratory tract disease caused by the respiratory synctial virus (RSV), prominent in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months. RSV is the most common respiratory infection for infants and children. Approximately 50 percent of all infants are infected with RSV during their first year of life; nearly all children have been infected at least once by the time they reach their second birthday.

• MIPS jointly funded six different research projects with MedImmune, including three directly related to Synagis, since 1996.

• MIPS “helped in [the] structural testing of Synagis lots,” said MedImmune scientist Dr. John Hope in a post-project report. “The process for which the MIPS grant assisted in development of is still being used at MedImmune for testing Synagis and related glycoproteins.”

• Synagis was approved in 1998 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

• Total sales for Synagis since 1998 exceed $6 billion.

Bullet Speed Tip Masonry Drill Bit, produced by Black & Decker (Towson)

• A new drill bit design, developed through MIPS, is used in the Bullet Speed Tip Masonry Drill Bit, a line of 29 bits.

• The Bullet bits drill up to two times faster than competitive bits, and drill up to six times more holes per battery charge when using a cordless drill.

• Black & Decker’s Power Tools and Accessories Division accounted for $26.8 billion in sales since 2000.

• Black & Decker’s Power Tools and Accessories sales have exceeded $16.4 billion since 2001.

• According to Hoover’s, Black & Decker is the nation's number one producer of power tools and accessories. Its largest customers include Home Depot and Lowe's, which together account for about 10 percent of the company’s sales.

• Black & Decker employs 500 people in Maryland and over 25,000 worldwide.

Nutritional oils, produced by Martek Biosciences

• Martek Biosciences developed and manufactures two polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). These two fatty acids are found throughout the human body and in breast milk. DHA is a key component in the development of the eyes and the central nervous system in newborns.

• Martek's oils are licensed and sold to many infant formula manufacturers, including Mead Johnson Nutritionals, American Home Products Corporation, Royal Numico N.V., Maabarot Products Ltd., Novartis Nutrition S.A., Abbott Laboratories, Heinz Watties Limited, Laboratorios Ordesa and Nestlé. These licensees represent more than two-thirds of the worldwide wholesale infant formula market, and infant formulas containing the company's oils have been introduced in 75 countries across the world including the United States and Canada.

• MIPS helped Martek evaluate the best procedures for maximizing DHA yield from the company’s microalgae. Access to Mtech’s Bioprocess Scale-Up Facility was critical.

• According to Henry “Pete” Linsert, chairman of Martek, scaling up DHA and ARA “was a crucial step in making our infant formula additives feasible.”

• In addition to infant formula, Martek’s life’sDHA is now included in many products, including: a prescription prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement for expecting mothers; Breyers Smart! Yogurt; and General Mills' Yoplait Kids.

• Internationally, Martek and Italian company Latteria Merano/Milchhof Meran launched a similar product in November 2006 called Mente Viva, a drinkable yogurt also fortified with life’sDHA.

• In the spring 2007, Martek announced license and supply agreements with various pharmaceutical and food companies, making Martek their primary source of DHA for products ranging from prescriptions to milk. Europe’s second largest dairy company, Arla Foods, will use life’sDHA in infant formula products, while American WhiteWave Foods Company will launch Rachel’s natural yogurt with DHA. 

• Martek employs 569 workers worldwide.

HughesNet, produced by Hughes Network Systems (Germantown)

• Germantown Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of Hughes Communications, "wrote the book on satellite data and Internet access network services," according to Hoover's.

• Hughes Network Systems is a global leader in broadband networks and services, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies.

• Hughes’ HughesNet product is the world's leading broadband by satellite service, providing high-speed Internet access to the large enterprise, small/medium enterprise, small office/home office, and rural markets. HughesNet is available around the globe through HNS directly and from authorized value-added resellers.

• HNS jointly developed HughesNet with the University of Maryland’s Dr. John Baras through several MIPS projects. The product was initially launched as DirecPC.

• More than 1.2 million HughesNet systems have been ordered or shipped to customers in over 100 countries.

• Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide and employs 1,872 people. HNS operates manufacturing facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Phraselator, originally produced by Applied Data Systems (Columbia)

• Applied Data Systems is a leading developer of application-ready, RISC-based embedded systems.

• Phraselator, now sold by Voxtec, is a PDA-sized, wireless phrase-recognition device initially developed by ADS. Applied Data Systems integrated the Phraselator with Microsoft’s operating system and speech recognition technology from Voxtec—all on ADS’ RISC-based Bitsy.

• For nearly two years, the Phraselator bridged communication gaps for the military during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Among one of its many uses, the Phraselator 1100 facilitated humanitarian medical treatment to local Afghani women who would not talk to a male translator.

• The Phraselator features a large vocabulary and speaker-independent phrase recognition—used by military personnel in the extreme temperatures of Afghanistan to translate English into the four languages spoken there, at a 98 percent accuracy rate and in near real-time.

• ADS’s MIPS-supported research with the University of Maryland focused on validating extended temperature ranges for industrial embedded systems applications. The results were incorporated into the new speech translation device, which can perform in the harshest weather conditions.

• ADS was named Washington Technology’s 30th fastest growing company in its “2003 Fast 50 Government Contractors” rankings. Rankings were based on the percentage of government sector business growth.

World-class sails, Quantum Sail Design Group (Annapolis)

• Quantum Sail, the No. 2 sail maker in the world, designs, engineers, and manufactures sails for racers and cruisers who demand the highest levels of quality and performance.

• MIPS-developed technology is used in nearly all of Quantum’s sail products.

• Quantum created the first U.S.-based wind tunnel testing facilities for downwind sails with the University of Maryland's Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel through MIPS.

• With annual revenue of $20-30 million, Quantum has 65 affiliates in 22 countries, including Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, the Pacific Rim, Africa, and South America.

• QSSD’s Annapolis-based Defense Highway facility is 10,000 square feet, and employs 25 people.

MAKO UAV, produced by Navmar Appllied Sciences Corporation (Lexington Park)

• The MAKO unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) is a revolutionary aircraft, related to the Predator UAV used by the U.S. military during missions in Afghanistan. The MAKO is light, inexpensive, can travel far distances and can carry substantial payloads, and importantly—is expendable.

• With a wingspan of 12 feet eight inches and weighing just 75 pounds, the MAKO can fly for five hours, or 350 miles, on one five-gallon tank of gasoline. The MAKO can suit many missions, from reconnaissance to payload release.

• Through MIPS, UM personnel evaluated the aero dynamics of the aircraft, flight control system, propulsion analysis, wing loading design analysis, and glide ratios. UM faculty also helped select a design for the final vehicle. MIPS’ project with Navmar also gave the company access to lab space and the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel.

• Navmar is manufacturing approximately one MAKO per week, with 26 already shipped to the U.S. military.

• As a result of Navmar’s MIPS project, which played a key role in developing the MAKO, the company:

  • Awarded $10 million in subcontracts to nine Maryland companies, including Brandebury Tool (Gaithersburg), BAE (Easton), API (Baltimore), Sullivan Products (Baltimore), Ship Point (Patuxent River), Neany Inc. (Patuxent River), Rugged (Patuxent River), Titan (Patuxent River), and Compass Systems (Patuxent River).

  • Opened three facilities in Maryland (Lexington Park, New Carrollton, and Chestertown).

  • Launched two new companies — Neany Inc. and Rugged.

  • Hired 12 new employees and opened avenues to new technology and expertise.