Washington, DC – The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced the designation of 31 technology centers in regions across the country. This is the first phase of the new Technology Centers Program, an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by enhancing the region's ability to manufacture, market, and deploy technology that will enhance American competitiveness. The program invests directly in thriving, high-potential U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation hubs.
Tech Hubs is 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 technology centers are located in 32 states plus Puerto Rico, and represent a cross-section of urban and rural areas. This classification is an endorsement of the region's plans to strengthen its technology industries to create job opportunities, enhance the competitiveness of the United States, and protect national security. Tech Hubs announced today a focus on industries ranging from autonomous systems, quantum computing, biotechnology, precision medicine, clean energy development, semiconductor manufacturing, and more, highlighting how the Biden-Harris administration is investing in innovation and economic growth in every region of the world. . United State.
The EDA also provided 29 Strategy Development Grants (SDGs) to help communities significantly increase local coordination and planning activities. Such development could make selected beneficiaries more competitive for future technology hub funding opportunities.
“President Biden's Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will enable the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs program is central to this mission and will advance innovation across the country by spurring cutting-edge technology investments.” And creating 21st century jobs in people's backyards. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Each of these unions will help us ensure that the industries of the future — and their good-paying jobs — start, grow, and stay in the United States.”
“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 this potential and investing in regional consortia that will boost U.S. manufacturing, create more good-paying jobs and strengthen US global competitiveness. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “The designers and grantees in Phase 1 reflect the diverse technology industries growing here at home and are symbols of American innovation and opportunity. The Tech Hubs program will provide them with the tools and resources needed to drive economic growth across the country, which Americans will feel for generations to come.”
“President Biden’s Tech Hubs program will spur technological progress in communities across America, laying the foundations for future hubs of world-class innovation, manufacturing, and good-paying jobs,” he said. Director of the National Economic Council, Lael Brainard.
The first-stage winners were selected from nearly 400 applications from regional consortia including industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and business and workforce partners. As part of the Tech Hubs competition, each consortium identified plans to enhance its region's capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy critical technologies.
“These distinguished designers of technology centers exemplify place-based economic development strategies at their best: combining federal resources, regional assets, expertise and alliances to implement transformative opportunities,” he said. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo. “As each region develops its own strategy to stimulate innovation and job creation, the entire nation becomes safer and more competitive.”
Today, the Department of Commerce launched a second Technology Centers Notice of Funding Opportunity, allowing these designated technology centers to apply for between $40 million and $70 million each in implementation funding, for a total of approximately $500 million.
The designers of the technology centers are:
- Safe and efficient autonomous systems
- Maintaining our quantum edge
- Biotechnology advances: drugs and devices
- Biotechnology advances: accuracy and prediction
- Accelerating our energy transition
- Strengthening our critical minerals supply chain
- Restoring leadership in the semiconductor industry
- Developing the future of materials manufacturing
Beneficiaries of the Strategy Development Grant (SDG) are:
Read more about the Tech Hubs program at TechHubs.gov
About the US Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by enhancing competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the global economy. EDA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, invests in communities and supports regional cooperation in order to create jobs for American workers, encourage American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
