Elrich, UMD Leaders Announce New Research Institute in North Bethesda 

Published 11/10/22 on Montgomery County Media

The facility will include research in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), per a release from Montgomery County.

The name of the institute is the University of Maryland 3 – Institute for Health Computing, per a release from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The institute is expected to open in leased space early next year, with final completion of lab and office space at a North Bethesda Metro location in 2028, according to the release.

“North Bethesda’s proximity to NIST, NIH, FDA, Walter Reed, and the Naval Medical Research Center provides a prime location for this novel and urgent cutting-edge research,” the release says.

On Thursday, leaders signed a memorandum of understanding to bring a new research institute to North Bethesda.

The institute will be able to make discoveries that improve abilities to diagnose, prevent and treat disease, said Dr. Darryll Pines, President of the University of Maryland College Park, during a press conference in Pike & Rose.

The vision is to create a life sciences focal point in White Flint at the North Bethesda Metro Station. 

“When we finally shed our reputation as not being able to develop businesses here, when we can show people that we can put this together, build a major project, work with a research university and we see the companies that are coming here — this is going to be significant for Montgomery County,” said County Executive Marc Elrich.