March 30, 2026
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine together with Montgomery County Government launches the official opening of the HJF Innovation Labs @ MontgomeryCountyMD (HIL).
The HIL, a new co-branded innovation facility affiliated with the Montgomery County Business Center Innovation Network, is a regional biotech incubator tailored to the needs of startups and small companies developing dual-use (military and civilian) medical technologies. The HIL helps emerging companies overcome financial and operational barriers, navigate the unique challenges of military medical product development, and access the resources, partnerships, and expertise needed to accelerate their innovations to market.
“Dual-use medical technologies align well with the very work of HJF’s mission—advancing military medicine,” said Dr. Joseph Caravalho, Jr., HJF’s President and CEO. “Now, with our partnership with Montgomery County, we can offer pathways for startups, expanding commercialization and accelerating the availability of important military medical innovations to service members, veterans, and civilians.”
Dr. Caravalho and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony at the HIL within HJF’s North Bethesda home office, which is centrally located in Montgomery County’s biotech region. The lab offers flexible, affordable wet and engineering lab space to meet the needs for smaller-scale space with shared equipment, wraparound services, and better access to meaningful innovation support and community resources. By combining wet lab and engineering space under one roof, the HIL offers startups and small companies a unique environment to design, build, and test their technologies. This co-location model supports innovations emerging from federal labs, universities, and private ventures, while accelerating commercialization through HJF’s established infrastructure, clinical networks, and partnerships.