🎥 Commerce Dept. names Kansas City among 31 new tech hubs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration Monday designated 31 technology hubs touching Kansas, Missouri, 30 other states and Puerto Rico to help spur innovation and create jobs in the industries that are concentrated in these areas.

President Joe Biden made the announcement at the White House with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

(click below to watch Secretary Raimond's announcement)

“No matter where I go or who I meet with — CEOs, governors, senators, congresspeople, university presidents — everyone wants to tell me about their application and how excited they are,” said Raimondo.

The tech hubs are the result of a process Raimondo's department launched in May to distribute a total of $500 million in grants to cities.

The $500 million came from a $10 billion authorization in last year’s CHIPS and Science Act to stimulate investments in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotech. It’s an attempt to expand tech investment that is largely concentrated around a few U.S. cities — Austin, Texas; Boston; New York; San Francisco; and Seattle — to the rest of the country.

Read more about the award winners below.

Enabling Safe and Effective Autonomous Systems

1. Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) (OK), led by Tulsa Innovation Labs, aims to become a global leader in developing and commercializing autonomous systems for use cases ranging from agriculture and pipeline inspections to regional transportation.
2. Ocean Tech Hub (RI, MA), led by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, aims to develop, test, and commercialize emerging maritime artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled robotics and sensors.
3. Headwaters Hub (MT), led by Accelerate Montana, aims to become a global leader in smart technologies for automating complex processes, such as industrial manufacturing.

Maintaining Our Quantum Edge

1. Elevate Quantum Colorado (CO), led by Elevate Quantum, aims to solidify the region’s global leadership in quantum information technology (QIT) to increase infrastructure resilience and strengthen the quantum hardware supply chain.
2. The Bloch Tech Hub (IL, IN, WI), led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), aims to lead quantum computing, communications, and related solutions.

Advancing Biotechnology in Drugs and Medical Devices

1. Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub (VA), led by the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, aims to accelerate the growth, innovation, and sustainability of the U.S.-based Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing industry to re-shore safe and affordable medicines via innovative hybrid and continuous flow manufacturing technologies.
2. ReGen Valley Tech Hub (NH), led by the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), aims to make New Hampshire a global leader in biofabrication to produce cost-effective regenerative therapies that address chronic disease and organ failure.
3. iFAB Tech Hub (IL), led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, aim to scale precision fermentation to convert underutilized corn feedstocks into high-value, customized alternative proteins, food ingredients, materials, chemicals, and more.
4. Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (MO, KS), led by BioNexus KC, aims to position eastern Kansas and western Missouri as a global leader in biologics and biomanufacturing, increasing domestic production of life-saving vaccines and other preventative technologies.
5. Heartland BioWorks (IN), led by the Applied Research Institute, aims to develop central Indiana into a global leader in biotechnology and biomanufacturing by increasing the region’s capacity to make and deploy life-saving medicines.
6. PRBio Tech Hub (PR), led by the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, aims to advance the region as a global leader in biotechnology through fast-tracking the discovery, development, manufacturing, and supply of next generation biotechnology and medical device products to detect, treat, and cure diseases and ailments. 

Advancing Biotechnology Precision and Prediction

1. Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub (WI), led by BioForward Wisconsin, aims to position Wisconsin as a global leader in personalized medicine, an emerging healthcare approach that tailors tests, treatments, and therapies informed by a patient’s unique genetic code, medical record, and environment.
2. Baltimore Tech Hub (MD), led by the Greater Baltimore Committee, aims to develop innovative predictive healthcare technologies by applying artificial intelligence to biotechnologies.
3. Birmingham Biotechnology Hub (AL), led by Southern Research Institute, aims to become a global leader in drug, vaccine, and diagnostics development by applying artificial intelligence-driven biotechnology to increase representation in clinical genomic data and clinical trials.
4. Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub (PA, DE, MD, NJ), led by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, aims to become a global leader in end-to-end precision medicine.
5. Minnesota MedTech Hub 3.0 (MMT3.0) (MN, WI), led by the Minneapolis Saint Paul Economic Development Partnership, aims to position Minnesota as a global center for “Smart MedTech” by integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science into medical technology.

Accelerating America’s Clean Energy Transition

1. Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller (LA), led by Louisiana State University, aims to transition Louisiana’s energy economy from its legacy of oil and gas to offshore wind and renewable energy.
2. Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Tech Hub (ID, WY), led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium, aims to position Idaho and Wyoming as a global leader in small modular reactors (SMR) and advanced nuclear energy to contribute to a clean energy future.
3. SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy (SC, GA) led by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, aims to be a global leader in advanced energy by developing, testing, and deploying exportable electricity technologies.
4. South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub (FL), led by the Miami Dade County Innovation and Economic Development Office, aims to advance its global leadership in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (SRI) solutions for the global climate crisis.
5. New Energy New York (NENY) Battery Tech Hub (NY), led by the State University of New York (SUNY) Binghamton, aims to bolster battery technology development and manufacturing across the entire value chain.

Strengthening Our Critical Minerals Supply Chain

1. Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop (NV), led by the University of Nevada, Reno, aims to build a self-sustaining and globally competitive full lithium lifecycle cluster, spanning extraction, processing, manufacturing, and recycling. 
2. Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub (MO), led by the University of Missouri System, aims to position south-central Missouri as a global leader in critical minerals processing to provide the materials needed to support battery technology.

Regaining Leadership in Semiconductor Manufacturing

1. Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub (TX, OK), led by Southern Methodist University, aims to unify existing and planned semiconductor supply chain infrastructure by enhancing regional collaboration and uplifting underserved communities through workforce expansion.
2. Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub (OR), led by Oregon State University, aims to establish global leadership in the development, scaling, and commercialization of microfluidics technology for use in semiconductor and electronic cooling.
3. NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub (NY), led by CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, aims to enhance regional semiconductor manufacturing capabilities while ensuring economic opportunity for underserved communities.
4. Advancing Gallium Nitride (GaN) Tech Hub (VT), led by the University of Vermont, aims to innovate in GaN manufacturing, a critical materials technology for wireless communication.

Growing the Future of Materials Manufacturing

1. Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub (OH), led by the Greater Akron Chamber, aims to tackle the severe climate and environmental impacts resulting from the use of fossil fuel-derived polymers (rubbers and plastics) through accelerating sustainable polymer manufacturing and commercialization in the United States.
2. Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub (ME), led by the Maine Technology Institute, aims to become a global leader in forest-based biomaterial production and manufacturing by innovating the process of extracting biological building blocks to manufacture environmentally sustainable products.
3. American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub (WA, ID), led by Gonzaga University, aims to develop new domestic supply chains to meet the immediate demand for high-rate production of advanced composite aerostructures in defense and commercial markets.
4. Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub (OR, WA), led by Oregon State University, aims to be a global leader in mass timber design and manufacturing to lower the construction industry’s carbon footprint and improve housing affordability.

Supporting Tech Hubs Through an All-of-Government StrategyTo ensure these Tech Hubs have the tools they need to compete on a global scale, the Administration is bringing the full resources of the federal government to identify and provide funding, technical assistance, and planning for the 31 coalitions, including:

1. Providing Tech Hubs access to follow-on funding from across the federal government, such as future Tech Hubs implementation funding, Economic Development Administration funding opportunities, and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) programs
2. Tech Hubs will have 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, and will have access to exclusive Tech Hubs branding
3. Tech Hubs will have support attracting foreign direct investment and receive export market access assistance, including having a dedicated presence at the SelectUSA Investment Summit Exhibition Hall in June 2024 and will have access to export assistance navigators that offer a global resilience stress test for each Tech Hubs Designee.
4. Tech Hubs will also receive technical assistance and program support on intellectual property issues

You can learn more about the benefits of receiving a Tech Hub designation here.