(Manchester, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced today that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s EDA has designated ReGen Valley, led by the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) in Manchester, as a Tech Hub, which is an economic development program that seeks to ensure that the industries of the future—and their good jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States. This designation will help accelerate Southern New Hampshire’s growth into a global epicenter for the production and distribution of regenerative cells, tissues and organs and help further bolster our economic and national security. The New Hampshire Congressional delegation sent a letter of support in August to advocate for this important and prestigious designation. The designation comes through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which Senators Shaheen and Hassan helped develop and the New Hampshire delegation helped get signed into law.
“I’m thrilled that the ReGen Valley Consortium has earned the Tech Hub designation from the EDA, which will accelerate Southern New Hampshire’s leadership in regenerative medicine, create more good jobs and ensure the life-saving therapies of the future are developed at home – right here in New Hampshire,” said Senator Shaheen. “This designation now makes ReGen Valley eligible to compete for additional federal funding to implement its vision to become the world’s biofabrication leader. As Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the EDA, I’ll continue supporting EDA programs as they help promote our state and country’s leadership in next-generation technology and research, which are critical for our economic and national security.”
“New Hampshire is a beacon for innovation-based businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Senator Hassan. “The biofabrication work happening in Manchester — powered in part by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act — has the potential to be a game changer for how we manage chronic diseases and traumatic injuries. I am glad to see the U.S. Economic Development Administration designate ReGen Valley as a regional technology and innovation hub, helping further its work and grow New Hampshire’s innovation-based economy.”
“Our New Hampshire businesses are leading the nation’s most competitive industries through their innovation,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I’m pleased to see ReGen Valley be recognized for its incredible work developing groundbreaking medicines, treatments, and therapies. This designation as a regional technology and innovation hub will help continue to drive our state and our economy forward.”
“The state-of-the-art work done by the ReGen Valley Tech Hub firmly places Manchester and New Hampshire at the forefront of developing regenerative tissues and organs,” said Congressman Pappas. “Designating Manchester as one of 31 inaugural Tech Hubs across the country further underscores the caliber of work and dedication of the partners and stakeholders in this effort. I was proud to support the CHIPS and Science Act, which established the Tech Hubs program, and to advocate for federal investments in biofabrication in Manchester. I am pleased to see New Hampshire continue to be recognized as a leader in this space, and I remain committed to supporting innovation, domestic manufacturing, and our economy.”
“The team at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute is grateful to Secretary Raimondo, our federal, state, and local elected leaders in New Hampshire, and our broad consortium of trusted collaborators for their commitment to the future of ReGen Valley. The honor of this designation recognizes the ReGen Valley Consortium’s efforts to build a vibrant, domestic biofabrication industry to fundamentally improve healthcare, while creating meaningful careers and inclusive economic growth, through a concentration of investment and expertise,” said ARMI Executive Director Dean Kamen.
The ReGen Valley Consortium includes: Dartmouth, Manchester Community College, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of New Hampshire, City of Manchester, City of Nashua, New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, ARMI, Advanced Solutions Life Sciences, DEKA Research & Development Corporation, Catholic Medical Center, Merrimack Manufacturing, New Hampshire Hospital Alliance, Rockwell Automation, Safi Biotherapeutics, Vitro Labs, NextGen Manchester Resiliency Council, Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, Business Finance Authority, New Hampshire AFL-CIO, New Hampshire Building, Construction and Trades Council, Manchester School District, FIRST Robotics New Hampshire, Business Association for People of Color, Granite YMCA, Amoskeag Ventures, Community Loan Fund and New Hampshire CDFA.
The ReGen Valley Consortium was designated as a Tech Hub through the EDA’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program (Tech Hubs Program), an economic development initiative designed to drive regional technology- and innovation-centric growth by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy critical technologies. The Tech Hubs program was authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act, which Shaheen and Hassan helped negotiate, and Shaheen secured $500 million for the program in the 2023 government funding law. The 31 Tech Hubs were selected from 198 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners. With this designation, the ReGen Valley Consortium will be eligible to compete for multi-million-dollar implementation grants from the EDA to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced biofabrication treatments and technologies.
Through her leadership as Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen works tirelessly to secure strong federal resources for the EDA. As an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the EDA invests in communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. In the 2023 government funding law, Senator Shaheen secured $1.12 billion for the EDA. This level is an increase of $742.5 million above the prior year.
Prior to this EDA Tech Hub announcement, U.S. Senators Shaheen and Hassan hosted Commerce Secretary Raimondo at ARMI following the EDA’s selection of Southern New Hampshire’s BioFabrication Cluster as a Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) awardee. This $44 million award – which Senators Shaheen and Hassan advocated for – is being used as a down payment to establish Southern New Hampshire’s leading role in regenerative tissue and organ production.
###
