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FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins Visits Korea to Promote U.S. Business Expansion Opportunities

Earlier this spring, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) President and CEO Victor Hoskins visited Seoul, Korea, to showcase opportunities for Korean companies looking to expand their presence into the U.S. market. Fairfax County’s diverse business ecosystem is already home to more than 80 Korean companies. FCEDA International Business Investment Manager for Asia Christy Youk joined Mr. Hoskins on the trip. During the April 24-27, 2023, visit, FCEDA engaged with more than 300 individuals at company visits and events.

The trip garnered widespread media attention throughout Korea, with more than 100 articles about FCEDA’s visit appearing online and in print media. During the trip, Mr. Hoskins was interviewed by two major Korean newspapers: Chosun, the oldest daily newspaper in the country, with a daily print circulation of more than 1.8 million; and Korea Herald, the largest English newspaper in Korea with 4.5 million readers.

[READ: Chosun Interview] Songpa-gu, Fairfax County help SMEs enter the U.S.

[READ: Herald Interview] Fairfax County ready to support Korean companies expanding into U.S.

FCEDA has maintained an office in Korea since 2004. It serves as a go-to resource for South Korean companies interested in expanding into the U.S. market. The FCEDA’s office in Seoul also serves other Pacific Rim countries. In addition to its office in Korea, FCEDA maintains overseas business investment offices in Bangalore/Mumbai, India; Berlin, Germany; London, U.K.; and Tel Aviv, Israel. With its headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, FCEDA’s bases its East Coast U.S. offices in Los Angeles, California.

While in Seoul, Mr. Hoskins and Ms. Youk spoke at the Korea Public Procurement Expo 2023 (KOPPEX 2023), an industry event for global government contracting. They discussed U.S. government contracting support programs in Fairfax County.

During the visit, Mr. Hoskins and Ms. Youk also met with representatives at Dongwon, the parent company of Reston-based StarKist. Dongwon is the largest seafood company in the world with locations in every continent.

SEE: Fairfax County lands StarKist headquarters; company will create 83 new jobs at new base in Reston

During their visit to George Mason University’s Korea campus, Mr. Hoskins and Ms. Youk met with George Mason Korea’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Cha; Dean Robert Matz; and Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic affairs, and Director for Industrial-University Collaboration Foundation Shannon Davis.

FCEDA delegation also participated in five joint seminars with partner organizations to discuss best practices and proven approaches to penetrate the U.S. market:

* SID Partners – accelerator supporting technology-focused startups

* Songpa-Gu (Fairfax County’s sister city in Korea)

* Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (Gyenoggi is Virginia’s sister state in Korea)

* Korea Software Industry Association (KOSA)

* IBK Changong – startup accelerator of Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK)

With its proximity to Washington, D.C., companies with a presence in Fairfax County have convenient access to the U.S. federal government – the largest customer in the world – as well as international financial institutions, legal experts, and the international diplomatic community. This hub of technology and innovation on the U.S. East Coast provides an affordable yet strategic alternative to competitors. It offers a time zone that makes working globally more efficient and links to global markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, with hundreds of non-stop flights to domestic and global destinations, including Incheon International Airport.

Fairfax County’s robust global business community features 10 Fortune 500 headquarters; leading government contractors; more than 8,800 technology businesses; and global headquarters for companies such as Hilton, Mars, and Northrop Grumman. The region specializes heavily in information technology, cybersecurity, financial services, government, and defense technology, and more.

Fairfax County also provides access to highly skilled talent, a diverse pool of international workers and a highly desirable quality of life. A sizable Korean population makes Fairfax County an excellent choice for Korean businesses looking to relocate workers and settle into the U.S. Nearly one-third of the county’s population is international and diversity and inclusion in the workplace remain a top priority in Fairfax County.

Click here to find out more about Fairfax County’s international offices, including in Korea.

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Quantum World Congress 2023 Startup Pitch Competition Open for Submissions

The Quantum World Congress is looking for innovative startups or emerging companies that are utilizing quantum science and technology to develop ground-breaking solutions for the defense and national security sectors. Do you know any startups locally or internationally in your network that fit the bill? Please spread the word with your connections to give them an opportunity to pitch to quantum investors and industry experts live on Tuesday, September 26 at Quantum World Congress 2023 in Tysons, Virginia. The Startup Pitch Competition provides a unique platform for these companies to gain global exposure and a chance to win $25,000.

Submissions are due by Friday, July 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Quantum World Congress is the premier global quantum conference – connecting the world’s quantum ecosystem, including the brightest researchers, innovators, technology developers, legislators, and industry experts – to accelerate the value of the growing quantum industry.

Save the date for Quantum World Congress 2023 in Tysons, Virginia from September 26 – 28, 2023.

Click here to learn more and apply now!

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Weekly Business News Digest

A noble space connection: Reston-based Noblis announced that its corporate venture arm, Noblis Ventures, has made a strategic investment in SCOUT Space (SCOUT), a space technology company dedicated to enabling a new era of space safety and transparency and leading in-space observation data provider. “Now more than ever, space-based situational awareness (SSA) is critical to our national security and economy,” said Mile Corrigan, Noblis’ president and CEO. “Both Noblis and SCOUT recognize the need for better and more diverse space-based data sets. The combination of the two companies’ capabilities will enable more dedicated resources to drive space-related intelligence, expand Noblis’ space portfolio and mission impacts and provide more resources for SCOUT’s ongoing offerings.” Eric Ingram, SCOUT co-founder and CEO added: “This strategic investment from Noblis signals their confidence in our vision and technological capabilities in the SSA domain. Today, and even more so tomorrow, space-based sensing and software technologies are key to enabling spacecraft autonomy and national security. SCOUT’s plug-and-play data-capture payload solutions enhance capabilities that are critical to evolving space missions and ensuring safe space operations.” FOX4 has more

Meeting growing demand: Herndon-based HawkEye 360 has commenced operations of its seventh satellite cluster used for geolocating radio frequency signals supporting government and commercial activities, ExecutiveBiz reported. HawkEye has a 21-satellite constellation that has been helping to provide situational awareness to defense and commercial customers. The technology has been beneficial in military missions, early-warning radar activity, detection of illegal mining and fishing, and potential interference of global positioning systems. It is targeting to launch 60 satellites divided into three clusters of 20 by the year 2025. “As geopolitical tensions continue to increase around the world, Cluster 7 is extending and improving data collection in the 30 MHz – 18 GHz frequency range to meet growing demand,” HawkEye 360 Chief Growth Officer Alex Fox commented.

Zero-trust: Reston-based Science Applications International Corp. has introduced a new offering aimed at supporting the implementation of zero-trust strategies among government agencies, ExecutiveBiz reported. The Trust Resilience framework is developed to provide a comprehensive set of processes, tools and services to enhance the security of cloud-based and hybrid infrastructures. Trust Resilience is capable of analyzing various aspects of a user’s systems and infrastructure through three main components to identify areas for improvement while minimizing potential compromises and enabling efficient data access. Shawn Kingsberry, vice president of cyber solutions at SAIC, said the new framework has metrics that align “to all major federal government cybersecurity executive orders and the White House 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy.”

More zero-trust: Herndon-based ManTech has developed the zero-trust reference architecture for the Department of Defense’s government laboratory designed to test zero-trust platforms for agencies reporting to the DoD, ExecutiveBiz reported. The Zero-Trust GovLab is a cloud-based facility that applies the company’s experience in building the reference architecture, including the model being adopted by the Defense Information Systems Agency. “ManTech’s Zero Trust Architecture is designed to improve the enterprise security posture as agencies undergo digital transformation and cloud migration,” said David Hathaway, executive vice president and general manager of the company’s defense sector.

Starting up: Reston-based Silent Push, a detection-focused threat intelligence company, launched with $10 million in total seed funding, citybiz reported. The round was led by Ten Eleven Ventures. The company announced that it intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach. Co-founded by former FireEye Vice President Ken Bagnall and FireEye Research Labs Director John Jensen, Silent Push has been designed to operate a standalone solution or integrate into existing security tools through an application programming interface. SiliconANGLE has more.

Mission-critical maritime defense: Herndon-headquartered 5G broadband connectivity specialist Oceus and Beloit, Wis., based Fairbanks Morse Defense signed a three-year agreement to co-develop and deploy a 5G broadband kit to provide FMD’s maritime defense customers with instant remote connectivity for any device. The technology provides crews with 5G communications access in some of the world’s most remote locations and in areas with extreme interference, ensuring they maintain mission-critical communications while performing essential ship repairs. “Secure, reliable connectivity is essential for the Navy as the fleet grows and its demand for transmitting data expands,” said Paul McQuillan, Oceus chief of growth and strategy officer. “FMD has a strong network throughout the Navy, Military Sealift Command, and the Coast Guard, which makes them an ideal collaborator to help us expand this technology for mission-critical maritime defense.” Marine Log has more.

IT connection: Reston IT staffing company Seneca Resources purchased New York IT consulting firm QED National in a deal that closed May 26, the companies announced late last week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Seneca Resources said in a press release that it expects its purchase of QED will speed up its growth by helping it bring more solutions to its clients. The deal was 13-year-old Seneca’s first acquisition since it was purchased by Atlanta’s Caymus Equity in September. Seneca focuses on staffing IT talent for the government, health care and financial services sectors. That will be complemented, the companies say, by QED’s focus on IT consulting services in similar sectors, plus the utility industry, according to Washington Business Journal.

Done deal: McLean-based Mars has completed its acquisition of Colorado-based Heska, citybiz reported. Heska is now part of Mars Petcare’s Science & Diagnostics division, enabling broader coverage across diagnostics and technology, while accelerating R&D and expanding access globally to pet healthcare solutions. Nefertiti Greene, president, Mars Science & Diagnostics, said: “It’s an honor to welcome Heska to the Science & Diagnostics division of Mars Petcare. Like us, Heska has grown into a purpose-driven business, supporting veterinary professionals globally. I am excited about what we can achieve with a full diagnostics portfolio across reference laboratories, point-of-care, imaging and technology solutions, rapid diagnostics, telemedicine and software solutions and services.”

Air taxi connection: Supernal, the advanced air mobility (AAM) unit of South Korean automotive giant Hyundai, has taken a minority shareholding stake in micro-climate specialist Reston-based TruWeather Solutions, whose hyper-localized atmospheric tech solutions will be used in operating safe and comfortable air taxi services. Supernal said it will use the partnership to build their overlapping activities together. The company said it will use TruWeather Solutions’ low- and medium-altitude climatic data analytics and forecasting technology for use in the testing phases and eventual launch of its air taxis. DroneDJ has more.

New pulmonology division: Falls Church area-based Inova Health System has taken over the nearly 40-year-old Northern Virginia Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates to create what it’s calling Inova Pulmonology, a division devoted to lung diseases and related care, Washington Business Journal reported in an article for subscribers. The agreement immediately brings two practice locations into Inova’s fold, including spaces at 101 West Broad St. in Falls Church and 3289 Woodburn Road in Annandale, a medical office building about a mile south of Inova’s Fairfax hospital campus.

Cyber investment: Reston-based Elastio, a provider of a cloud native recovery assurance platform, raised $18 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Venture Guides, Capri Ventures, and Alumni Ventures, with participation from existing investors Bain Capital Ventures and Uncorrelated Ventures. The company announced that it intends to use the funds for customer growth plans, including ramping up the number of AWS services it protects, introducing new data integrity features, and enhancing customer workflows with generative AI. “This significant investment validates our mission to revolutionize cyber recovery in the cloud and protect our customers from the massive implications of not being able to recover their data,” said Najaf Husain, CEO of Elastio. FinSMEs has more.

Muscling up a mussel mission: Several groups are working together to embark on an urban mussel restoration project for the Snakeden and Glade stream valleys in Reston, FFXnow reported. The project is part of a partnership with Virginia Tech, the Reston-based U.S Geological Survey and other institutions. The team will work to install mussel beds into restored streams and evaluate their ability to remove nutrient and sediment pollution. “Freshwater mussels have the ability to filter stream water at a prodigious rate, improving water quality, and thereby potentially keeping local streams, rivers, and receiving estuaries cleaner,” according to the Resource Protection Group, a nonprofit funding the effort. “Within urbanized settings such as Reston, the possibility of utilizing mussels to improve both local water quality and that of larger receiving systems is quite intriguing.”

Premier destination in Tysons: Starr Hill Brewery, operator of the development’s rooftop beer garden at Capital One Center in Tysons plans to expand its presence in the neighborhood with a new, street-level brewpub, featuring a new food menu and two bars, FFXnow reported. “We are incredibly excited to announce the addition of our new Brewpub at Capital One Center,” Starr Hill Brewery Vice President of Commercial Operations Josh Cromwell said. “This expansion represents our commitment to providing an exceptional entertainment experience, complementing the amazing atmosphere that Biergarten has developed in the past two years. We are excited to continue showcasing our fantastic beers, food and entertainment at a premier destination in Tysons.”

Juneteenth celebrations: Juneteenth is on Monday, June 17. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the holiday celebrates the liberation of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. when the Union army arrived with the news of freedom. WTOP and Northern Virginia Magazine posted some ways to celebrate the holiday around Greater Washington.

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Contract Wins

Hypori (Reston) booked a three-year contract to implement a virtualization system for National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency employees to access an unclassified information network remotely. ExecutiveBiz

Akima Intra-Data (Herndon) business has won a $199.77 million contract to deliver base operations support for the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base. ExecutiveGov

ManTech (Herndon) will provide intelligent systems engineering and automation, analytics and artificial intelligence support to the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division under a $133 million re-compete contract. ExecutiveBiz

Alpha Omega (Tysons) and its contractor teaming arrangement partner Dynamo Technologies (Tysons) will provide Department of Agriculture agencies with cybersecurity operations support under a $70 million contract. ExecutiveBiz

Peraton (Reston) will help the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory develop oceanographic tools under a $45.7 million contract. ExecutiveBiz

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September 26-28, 2023 – Call for Experts: Connecting the Global Quantum Ecosystem. Quantum World Congress 2023 will occur September 26-28 in the Greater Washington region. It will once again bring together leaders from across the quantum ecosystem around the globe to address pressing challenges and emerging trends and share insights that help to accelerate and commercialize quantum technologies. Programming will take many forms — from presentations and panels to fireside chats and networking sessions. QWC will enable relevant, timely, and industry-leading information sharing and relationship building across these formats to foster a responsible environment for quantum growth. If your expertise and experience position you as a thought leader, then you are invited to complete the speaker application. Please also review the sponsorship packages to explore ways to showcase your brand at the event. Click here for more information.