US Selects 31 Tech Hubs Eligible to Receive CHIPS Act Funding

The White House has designated 31 technology hubs spread across urban and rural regions in the United States to drive innovation and create jobs.

According to the Economic Development Administration within the Department of Commerce, the government will invest in the tech hubs, which focus on autonomous systems, quantum computing, biotechnology, precision medicine, clean energy advancement, semiconductor manufacturing and other critical technologies.

The designated hubs are eligible to apply for grants worth up to $70 million under the Commerce Department’s second tech hubs notice of funding opportunity, the Economic Development Administration said.

The agency will distribute $500 million in funding from the $10 billion budget authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act. 

Among the selected hubs are the Headwaters Regional Technology and Innovation Hub in Montana, which is working on smart, autonomous, photonic remote sensing technologies; the PRBio Tech Hub, which aims to position the Puerto Rico region as a global leader in biotechnology; and the Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller, which focuses on offshore wind and renewable energy. 

Headwaters, PRBio and GLOW Propeller are also among the 29 recipients of EDA’s Strategy Development Grants for improving local coordination and planning activities. The developments made through the grants are expected to make the awardees more competitive for tech hub funding opportunities in the future.