During the Army Alliance’s annual breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 15, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (RDECOM ECBC) Director Eric Moore, Ph.D., took part in a panel of local leaders on the future of the defense community in the Edgewood community.

Titled, “Shaping the Future: Growing the Edgewood Defense Community,” the discussion centered on how the Army Alliance could develop the defense community, and how various government, educational and private sector institutions can collaborate to achieve that vision.

Joined by Moore were John Resta, Director of Army Public Health Center; Col. Rob Phillips, APG Garrison Commander; Dianna Phillips, Ph.D., president of Harford Community College; Karen Holt, federal installation administrator for Harford County’s economic development office; and Ms. Quynh Budzynski, of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland.

Jim Fielder, secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, emphasized how the Army Alliance brings education, business and government together to “operate not in silo but in an epicenter of change.”

Speaking on the future of defense in Edgewood, Moore said he envisioned a corridor of innovation along Interstate 95, not just in Harford County, but from Columbia stretching through Delaware.

“We have such talent and educational institutions in this area,” he said, talking about building a foundational network for “Harford County and beyond.”

He touted K-12 STEM mentorships and the Regional Additive Manufacturing Partnership of Maryland as two examples of this network.

Col. Rob Phillips, Garrison Commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground, talked about the need for community involvement, supporting an “unprecedented level of collaboration.” He urged community leaders to “take part in these events and be a part of the Proving Ground.”

Moore and Phillips both talked about the Army’s organizational change, re-aligning RDECOM ECBC under the U.S. Army Futures Command.

“What’s going on with the Futures Command is huge, and we know we’re a hub of innovation,” Phillips said. “We’re in a good position here.”