The US Economic Development Administration is seeking input to inform the development of the Regional Tech Hubs program, created under the CHIPS and Science Act.
The program will help U.S. regions build and evolve into centers of innovation and seeks to support key technologies and industries of the future, strengthen U.S. economic and national security, and ensure that industries of the future start, grow, and remain in the United States. This model aligns well with the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Innovation Cluster Accelerator, which currently supports 9 innovation clusters.
Stakeholder and cross-sector collaboration will be critical to developing a successful hub and a competitive application. If you are interested in being part of a Tech Hub application in Washington State, contact the Innovation Cluster Accelerator team at icap@commerce.wa.gov to connect with other ecosystem partners.
Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) – FROM EDA WEBSITE
The Tech Hubs program is an economic development initiative to drive technology- and innovation-centric growth that leverages existing R&D strengths and technology demonstration and deployment capacities (public and private) within a region to catalyze the creation of good jobs for American workers at all skill levels equitably and inclusively.
The Tech Hubs program was enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program), and Congress appropriated EDA $500 million for it as part of the FY 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
This new authority allows EDA to:
- designate Tech Hubs,
- award funding for Tech Hubs strategy development (i.e., planning and capacity building), and
- award funding for Tech Hubs strategy implementation (i.e., projects),
subject to constraints and targets outlined in detail in the full text of the statute.
EDA Seeks Input for Tech Hubs Program
On February 14, 2023, EDA issued a Tech Hubs Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register to solicit public input about the program design, structure, and evaluation of the Tech Hubs program.
Through this RFI, EDA seeks input in several areas, including but not limited to information on:
- structuring a Tech Hubs program that will accelerate regions evolution into a global leader in an industry of the future that strengthens the region and U.S. economic and national security;
- identifying metrics for assessment of successful Tech Hubs;
- designing a competitive, inclusive and accessible selection process for Tech Hub designations that would both support critical technology and innovation sectors, as well as geographic diversity; and
- identifying how federal designations and federal grants can be structured to maximize the desired impacts of the Tech Hubs program.
While this RFI specifically seeks input on these and other topics, EDA welcomes all responses that stakeholders believe will support the development of a strong Tech Hubs program.
Responses are due by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on March 16, 2023. Responses may be directly submitted via email to TechHubs@eda.gov with “Tech Hubs RFI” in the subject line. Full details on responding can be found in the Federal Register.
Resources
Press Release: U.S. Department of Commerce Seeks Public Input on New Tech Hubs Program
Fact Sheet: Tech Hubs (PDF)
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