On October 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs in regions across the country.
This is the first phase of the new Tech Hubs program, which is an economic revitalization initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness.
The program invests directly in burgeoning, high-potential U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers.
Tech Hubs was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which he signed into law in August 2022.
These Tech Hubs are located across 32 states and Puerto Rico, and represent a cross-section of urban and rural regions. Designation is an endorsement of the region’s plans to supercharge their respective technological industries to create jobs, strengthen U.S. competitiveness, and protect national security.
These new Tech Hubs focus on industries ranging from autonomous systems, quantum computing, biotechnology, precision medicine, clean energy advancement, semiconductor manufacturing, and more.
“Innovation, cutting-edge research, and creativity can be found in every community across America. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, the Tech Hubs program is seizing that potential and investing in regional consortia that will boost U.S. manufacturing, create more good-paying jobs and bolster U.S. global competitiveness,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.
“The phase 1 designees and grant recipients reflect the diverse technological industries growing here at home and are symbols of American innovation and opportunity. The Tech Hubs program will provide them tools and resources to drive economic growth across the nation, which Americans will feel for generations to come,” he explained.
EDA also awarded 29 Strategy Development Grants (SDG) to help communities significantly increase local coordination and planning activities. Such development could make selected grantees more competitive for future Tech Hubs funding opportunities.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will empower the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs Program is fundamental to that mission and will supercharge innovation across the nation by spurring cutting-edge technological investments and creating 21st century job opportunities in people’s backyards,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
“Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future—and their good-paying jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States,” she added.
The Phase 1 winners were selected from nearly 400 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners. As part of the Tech Hubs competition, each consortium outlined plans for strengthening its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical technologies.
“These outstanding Tech Hubs Designees exemplify place-based economic development strategies at their best: combining federal resources with regional assets, expertise, and coalitions to implement transformational opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “As each region develops its own strategy to catalyze innovation and job creation, the entire nation grows more secure and more competitive.”
Now, the Department of Commerce has launched a second Tech Hubs Notice of Funding Opportunity, allowing these designated Tech Hubs to apply to receive between $40 million and $70 million each for implementation funding, totaling nearly $500 million.
“President Biden’s Tech Hubs program will catalyze technological advances in communities across America, laying the foundations for future centers of world class innovation, manufacturing, and good paying jobs,” said Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard.
The Tech Hubs designees are:
Accelerating Our Energy Transition
- Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller – offshore wind and renewable energy in LA
- Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Tech Hub– small modular reactors and microreactors in ID and WY
- SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy – clean energy supply chain in SC and GA
- South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub – sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure in FL
- New Energy New York (NENY) Battery Tech Hub – end to end battery development and manufacturing in NY
Strengthening Our Critical Minerals Supply Chain
- Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub– critical mineral processing in MO
- Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop – lithium batteries and electric vehicle materials in NV
Safe and Effective Autonomous Systems
- Headwaters Hub – smart photonic sensor systems in MT
- Ocean Tech Hub – ocean robotics, sensors, and materials in RI, MA
- Trustworthy & Equitable Autonomous Systems Tech Hub – secure autonomous systems in OK
Maintaining Our Quantum Edge
- Elevate Quantum Colorado – quantum information technology in CO
- The Bloch Tech Hub – quantum computing and communications in IL, IN, and WI
Advancing Biotechnology: Drugs and Devices
- Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Tech Hub – active pharma ingredient manufacturing in VA
- ReGen Valley Tech Hub – organ and tissue biofabrication in NH
- iFab Tech Hub – precision fermentation and biomanufacturing in IL
- Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub– vaccine-related biologics and manufacturing in MO and KS
- Heartland BioWorks – biologics manufacturing in IN
- PRBio Tech Hub – biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing in Puerto Rico
Advancing Biotechnology: Precision and Prediction
- Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub – personalized medicine in WI
- Baltimore Tech Hub – predictive healthcare in MD
- Birmingham Biotechnology Hub – equitable AI-driven biotechnology in AL
- Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub- end to end precision medicine in PA, DE, MD, and NJ
- Minnesota MedTech 3.0 – smart medical technologies in MN and WI
Regaining Leadership in Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Texoma Semiconductor Innovation Consortium – fablet-based semiconductor manufacturing in TX and OK
- Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub – microfluidics platforms in OR
- Advancing GaN Tech Hub – gallium nitride-based semiconductors in VT
- NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub – end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing in NY
Growing the Future of Materials Manufacturing
- Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub – sustainable plastics and rubbers in OH
- Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub – sustainable wood biomass polymers in ME
- American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub – aerospace materials manufacturing in WA and ID
- Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub– mass timber manufacturing and design in WA and OR
The Strategy Development Grant (SDG) Recipients are:
- Advanced Manufacturing of Critical Materials Strategy Development Consortium
- Alaska Tech Strategy Development Consortium
- Black Hills Deep Underground Frontier Strategy Development Consortium
- Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology (CICOM) Strategy Development Consortium
- Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Headwaters Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Lithium Valley Clean Tech Strategy Development Consortium
- Materials Advancement and Research Solutions (MARS) Strategy Development Consortium
- Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier Strategy Development Consortium
- Midwest Wireless Innovation Strategy Development Consortium
- Model-Based Enterprise Tech Strategy Development Consortium
- North Central Pressed Materials Strategy Development Consortium
- Ocean Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Pacific Northwest Smart Energy Strategy Development Consortium
- PRBio Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Regional Energy Business, Education, & Commercialization Convergence Accelerator (REBECCA) Energy Strategy Development Consortium
- Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium
- Southeast Biotech Collaborative (SEBC) Strategy Development Consortium
- Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing & Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium
- West Virginia Advanced Energy & Industrial Technology Manufacturing (WV-AEIM) Strategy Development Consortium
- Western North Carolina Industrialized Construction (NCIC) Strategy Development Consortium
- Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub (*Tech Hubs Designee)
- WV Tech Strategy Development Consortium
Image via Adobe Stock.