Through funding from the CHIPS and Science Act, 31 Tech Hubs in the U.S. have been approved by the Biden Administration.
The Tech Hubs program was originally announced in June as a competition for funding by the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), where during a three-month window, proposals would be evaluated on technology strength and the potential innovation that could come from the hubs.
The Tech Hubs are designed to create jobs, increase R&D and manufacture, and commercialize and deploy technology to advance America’s scientific competitiveness. The hubs will be deployed across 32 states and Puerto Rico in both urban and rural regions.
The Tech Hubs will focus on industries ranging from autonomous systems, quantum computing, biotechnology, precision medicine, clean energy advancement, semiconductor manufacturing and more. The aim is to find growing and high-potential regions in the U.S. and transform them into competitive innovation centers, the USDOC said.
One Tech Hub was received by Elevate Quantum, a Colorado consortium designed to develop the quantum computing ecosystem. This includes an accelerator with a multi-modal, open access quantum laboratory, funding for start-up growth and technology transfer to the private sector, loan guarantees and strategic guidance.
The government also awarded 29 strategy development grants (SDG) that aim to increase local coordination and planning activities that could provide for future Tech Hub funding opportunities.
400 applications
The first phase of the Tech Hubs was selected from about 400 applications that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations and labor and workforce partners.
The USDOC also launched a second Tech Hubs notice for a funding opportunity that could potentially give $40 million to $70 million in funding for each hub, totaling nearly $500 million.
Read more about the Tech Hubs program at TechHubs.gov
