WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) urged the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to consider the value of locating Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs), established by Brown’s CHIPS Act, in Ohio to continue the state’s leadership in manufacturing and innovation. The Tech Hubs Program was created by the CHIPS Act, and is designed to drive regional technology- and innovation-centric growth by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical technologies. In his letter, Brown urged the EDA to consider Ohio’s applications when choosing locations for the future HUBS, for projects such as advanced next generation aerospace technologies in Southwest Ohio through a Cincinnati-Dayton collaboration, a regional engine for semiconductors partnering with cloud computing and electric vehicle manufacturing through a Columbus-Appalachia collaboration, solar technology development and manufacturing in Northwest Ohio, or a range of industries from sustainable polymer to artificial intelligence in Northeast Ohio.
“Ohio is home to a historic manufacturing sector that will supercharge industrial technology investments in our future economy. Our nation’s Tech Hubs will be one more way for EDA to help support the revitalization of communities, expand job growth, spur innovation, and secure our national and economic security for decades to come,” wrote Brown. “There are many industries in Ohio that fit the description of the requirements of the Tech Hubs – some are in their infancy and others are finding new pathways to reach a 21st century economy.”
Brown has been a leader in bringing new manufacturing opportunities to Ohio and worked to pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which boosted Intel’s $20 billion investment to build a semiconductor plant in New Albany and is expected to create 10,000 jobs.
A copy of the letter is available below and here.
Dear Secretary Raimondo:
As the Economic Development Administration (EDA) moves forward with implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act by designating locations of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (“Tech Hubs”) across the United States, I write in support of the applications submitted by potential grantees from Ohio. Ohio is particularly suited for success as a designee of the Tech Hubs competition, and as EDA reviews applications for the opportunity, I urge you to give the applications from Ohio full and fair consideration.
Ohio is home to a historic manufacturing sector that will supercharge industrial technology investments in our future economy. Our nation’s Tech Hubs will be one more way for EDA to help support the revitalization of communities, expand job growth, spur innovation, and secure our national and economic security for decades to come. There are many industries in Ohio that fit the description of the requirements of the Tech Hubs – some are in their infancy and others are finding new pathways to reach a 21st century economy. Some of the other fastest growing sectors of the state are in clean energy: solar panel manufacturing, electric vehicle manufacturing, recycling, and net zero emission steel production, to name a few. Those investments add to the ecosystem of production in aviation, aerospace, and advanced defense technology, and their impact is multiplied by their support for the local workforce. In the next two years alone, Ohio can boast over $159 billion in construction-related investments that are confirmed union projects, contributing to the economic security of local workers and Ohio communities.
The purpose of the Tech Hubs to be identified by the EDA is to help strengthen U.S. economic and national security by investing in locations that have the “assets, resources, capacity, and potential to transform into globally competitive innovation centers” for the industries of the future, supported by high-quality jobs. There is no better place to house these essential Hubs than Ohio. Non-partisan experts list several locations in Ohio as sites most likely to serve as successful centers for innovation Hubs: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Dayton, Toledo, and the area around and within Belmont County. Three of these sites are ranked in the top ten for the entire country. Locating future Tech Hubs in Ohio will ensure that the Hubs benefit from Ohio’s unique combination of an experienced and sophisticated manufacturing workforce, access to world class institutions of higher education, as well as a lower cost of living. These background characteristics, merged with Ohio’s current position at the epicenter of new cross-cutting investments such as the Intel semiconductor campus, make clear that the Buckeye State is best positioned to succeed as a Tech Hub designee.
With these criteria in mind, I urge you to carefully consider each of the globally competitive applications submitted by entities in Ohio. Each represents a promising investment in our nation’s industrial growth and would advance the mission of the Tech Hubs as envisioned by the CHIPS and Science Act, whether it is advanced next generation aerospace technologies in Southwest Ohio through a Cincinnati-Dayton collaboration, a regional engine for semiconductors partnering with cloud computing and electric vehicle manufacturing through a Columbus-Appalachia collaboration, solar technology development and manufacturing in Northwest Ohio, or a range of industries from sustainable polymer to artificial intelligence in Northeast Ohio.
During multiple State of the Union addresses, President Biden brought attention to the locations in Ohio that will soon be “fields of dreams where America’s future will be built,” demonstrating to the world that “the industrial Midwest is back.” By selecting sites in Ohio, the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs can invest in and amplify the President’s vision: generate broad-based globally competitive growth, shore up our nation’s national and economic security, and create good quality jobs for decades to come.
Thank you for your consideration.
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