The Biden administration recently announced the designation of 31 "tech hubs" across the United States that will serve as centers of innovation. But what does this mean for broadband?
More than two dozen new tech hubs, named earlier this fall, will have "the tools they need to compete on a global scale," including funding from the Economic Development Administration and access to a range of government technical assistance , like that of the Department of Technology. and Technology. Transportation, the US Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration, according to the White House.
The decision to designate 31 regions across the country under the Tech Hubs program is part of a White House strategy to spur growth in several key sectors, including the biotechnology industry, the green energy industry, semiconductor and materials manufacturing.
The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and was signed into law by the president in August 2022, according to an October White House fact sheet.
What does this all mean for broadband?
According to Eric Smith, technology center program director for the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), 22 designated technology centers provide significant benefits to small and rural communities, and six of those include governments tribal.
According to the program, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) "will work with Tech Hubs to identify all relevant rural electric cooperatives that can help provide reliable, affordable energy and broadband access to their areas under the need". fact sheet on the benefits of the Tech Hub designation provided by the US Economic Development Administration (EDA).
"Needy communities in Tech Hub areas will receive increased consideration for other significant funding opportunities from the Economic Development Administration," the EDA fact sheet states.
In a video explaining the Tech Hubs program, Smith said the program takes a place-based approach.
He said the program invites regions to come together in concrete ways to achieve certain strategies and approaches, according to a video released by the EDA summarizing the program.
"We want to provide benefits to these centers to increase their chances of success," he said.
In October, the Commerce Department also issued its second notice of funding opportunities for tech centers, allowing some tech centers to apply for $40 million to $70 million in implementation funds, according to the department.
Photo: US Economic Development Administration
The summary of the Hubs Tech funding opportunity announcement states that the application deadline for the second phase is February 29, 2024.
Which countries are designated as technology hubs?
These technology centers are given specific names, such as the Ocean Tech Hub in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which the EDA says focuses on robotics, sensors and marine materials.
Another is the NY SMART-I corridor in New York state, which EDA says focuses on end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing.
Below is a complete list of the 31 technology centers designated by the EDA:
Technological Center for Autonomous Systems
- Resource Center: Montana Smart Photonic Sensor System
- Ocean Tech Hub: Robotics, sensors and marine materials in Rhode Island, Massachusetts
- Reliable and Fair Autonomous Systems Technology Center: Safe Autonomous Systems in Oklahoma
- The Rise of Quantum Colorado: Quantum Information Technology in Colorado
- Bloch Tech Hub: communications and quantum computing in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin
- Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Center - Manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients in Virginia
- ReGen Valley Tech Hub: Cell, Organ and Tissue Biomanufacturing in New Hampshire
- iFab Tech Hub: Precision Fermentation and Biological Manufacturing in Illinois
- Kansas City Comprehensive Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology Center: manufacturing biologics and vaccine-related products in Missouri and Kansas
- Heartland BioWorks: Organic Produce in Indiana
- PRBio Tech Hub - Medical device and biopharmaceutical manufacturing in Puerto Rico
- Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub: Personalized Medicine in Wisconsin
- Baltimore Tech Center: Predictive Health Services in Maryland
- Birmingham Biotechnology Center: Alabama's AI-Powered Biotechnology Trade Show
- Greater Philadelphia Precision Medicine Technology Center: Comprehensive precision medicine in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey
- Minnesota MedTech 3.0: Smart Medical Technology in Minnesota and Wisconsin
- Louisiana Gulf Offshore Wind Corridor: Offshore Wind and Renewable Energy in Louisiana
- Intermountain-Western Nuclear Power Technology Center: Small Modular Reactors and Microreactors in Idaho and Wyoming
- SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy: Clean Energy Supply Chains in South Carolina and Georgia
- South Florida Climate Resiliency Technology Center: Sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure in Florida
- Battery Technology Center New York (NENY) – Comprehensive battery development and manufacturing in New York
- Center for Critical Minerals and Materials Technology for Advanced Energy (CM2AE): Critical Mineral Processing in Missouri
- Recycle Lithium Batteries and Other Electric Vehicle Materials in Nevada - Lithium Batteries and Electric Vehicle Materials in Nevada
- Texoma Semiconductor Innovation Consortium: Fab based semiconductor manufacturing in Texas and Oklahoma
- Corvallis Microfluidics Technology Center: microfluidics platform in Oregon
- Further development of the GaN Tech Hub: gallium nitride semiconductors in Vermont
- NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub: End-to-End Semiconductor Manufacturing in New York
- Sustainable Polymer Technology Center: Ohio Sustainable Plastics and Rubber
- Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center: Sustainable Wood Biomass Polymers in Maine
- American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Technology Center: Aerospace materials manufacturing in Washington and Idaho
- Pacific Northwest Mass Lumber Technology Center: Mass Lumber Manufacturing and Design in Washington and Oregon
