Policies
The Biden Administration recently announced the designation of 31 so-called ‘tech hubs,’ areas intended to become hotbeds of innovation, across the United States. But what does it mean for broadband?
The more than two-dozen new tech hubs designated earlier this fall will ‘have the tools they need to compete on a global scale,’ including Economic Development Administration funding opportunities and access to a range of technical assistance from agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Small Business Administration, according to the White House.
The move to designate 31 regions throughout the nation as part of the Tech Hubs Program was parcel to a White House strategy aimed at catalyzing growth in several key industries, including biotech industries, clean energy industries, semiconductor manufacturing, and materials manufacturing.
The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and was signed by the president in August 2022, according to a White House fact sheet from October.
So, what does it all mean for broadband?
According to Eric Smith, the Tech Hubs Program Director at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), 22 of the designated tech hubs significantly benefit small and rural communities and six include a tribal government.
As part of the program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “will work with Tech Hubs to identify any relevant rural electric cooperatives that could help provide reliable, affordable energy and broadband access in their regions as needed,” according to a fact sheet on the benefits of the tech hub designation put out by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“Distressed communities within Tech Hubs regions will be given higher consideration for other relevant Economic Development Administration funding opportunities,” the EDA factsheet stated.
In a video explaining the Tech Hubs program, Smith said the program adopts a place-based approach.
He said the program asks regions to come together in a concrete way to pursue a specific strategy and focus, according to a video published by the EDA summarizing the program.
“We’re looking to provide benefits to these hubs to better their chances of success,” he said.
In October, the Department of Commerce additionally launched a second Tech Hubs Notice of Funding Opportunity, which the department said allows designated Tech Hubs to apply to receive between $40 million and $70 million for implementation funding.
Credit: U.S. Economic Development Administration
An executive summary of the Tech Hubs Notice of Funding Opportunity said phase two applications will have a deadline set for Feb. 29, 2024.
What locations have been designated as tech hubs?
The tech hubs have been given designated names, like the Ocean Tech Hub in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which the EDA listed with a focus in ocean robotics, sensors, and materials.
Another is the NY SMART-I Corridor in New York state, listed by the EDA with a focus on end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing.
All full list of the EDA’s 31 designated tech hubs can be found below:
Autonomous systems tech hubs
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- Headwaters Hub – smart photonic sensor systems in Montana
- Ocean Tech Hub – ocean robotics, sensors, and materials in Rhode Island, Massachusetts
- Trustworthy & Equitable Autonomous Systems Tech Hub – secure autonomous systems in Oklahoma
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- Elevate Quantum Colorado – quantum information technology in Colorado
- The Bloch Tech Hub – quantum computing and communications in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
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- Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Tech Hub – active pharma ingredient manufacturing in Virginia
- ReGen Valley Tech Hub – cells, organ, and tissue biofabrication in New Hampshire
- iFab Tech Hub – precision fermentation and biomanufacturing in Illinois
- Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub– vaccine-related biologics and manufacturing in Missouri and Kansas
- Heartland BioWorks – biologics manufacturing in Indiana
- PRBio Tech Hub – biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing in Puerto Rico
- Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub – personalized medicine in Wisconsin
- Baltimore Tech Hub – predictive healthcare in Maryland
- Birmingham Biotechnology Hub – equitable AI-driven biotechnology in Alabama
- Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub- end to end precision medicine in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey
- Minnesota MedTech 3.0 – smart medical technologies in Minnesota and Wisconsin
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- Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller – offshore wind and renewable energy in Louisiana
- Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Tech Hub– small modular reactors and microreactors in Idaho and Wyoming
- SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy – clean energy supply chain in South Carolina and Georgia
- South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub – sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure in Florida
- New Energy New York (NENY) Battery Tech Hub – end to end battery development and manufacturing in New York
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- Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub– critical mineral processing in Missouri
- Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop – lithium batteries and electric vehicle materials in Nevada
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- Texoma Semiconductor Innovation Consortium – fablet-based semiconductor manufacturing in Texas and Oklahoma
- Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub – microfluidics platforms in Oregon
- Advancing GaN Tech Hub – gallium nitride-based semiconductors in Vermont
- NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub – end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing in New York
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- Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub – sustainable plastics and rubbers in Ohio
- Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub – sustainable wood biomass polymers in Maine
- American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub – aerospace materials manufacturing in Washington and Idaho
- Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub– mass timber manufacturing and design in Washington and Oregon
