WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is seeking public input on its new Tech Hubs program that aims to build and evolve innovation centers in key U.S. regions; accelerate regions’ evolution into a global leader in an industry of the future; and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness within critical technologies.
“With the Tech Hubs program, we can better ensure America remains at the leading edge of developing and delivering critical, emerging technologies,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This also means we can ensure more Americans have the tools they need to get into the high-paying, quality jobs of the future. This is imperative not just for our economic security, but for our national security.”
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.
“It’s critically important to ensure that industries of the future start, grow and remain in the U.S.,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “Tech Hubs will be another critical tool in EDA’s economic development toolkit that will enable EDA to expand its portfolio of simultaneous interconnected investments that exponentially accelerate long-term regional growth. We look forward to hearing from stakeholders on the ground and in communities about how we can best design this program to maximize the taxpayers’ investment in our nation’s future.”
Today, the Tech Hubs Request for Information (RFI) was published 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 5:00 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.
For more information, visit the Tech Hubs website.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
