The South Florida ClimateReach Tech Hub has an agreement to deploy reduced-emissions concrete it produces at The Underline linear park, pictured, being built in Miami-Dade County. The hub was one of 12 awarded federal grants on July 2.
Photo courtesy The Underline
Twelve “tech hubs” will receive a combined $504 million in grants to help build facilities and implement other efforts to boost select technologies as part of an effort to strengthen the nation’s economy, the U.S. `Dept. of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration announced July 2.
The hubs are among 31 across the country that the Biden administration selected last fall for the Tech Hubs Program, created through the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act to boost technology in a specific field, such as quantum information, biomanufacturing, semiconductors or lithium batteries for electric vehicles. It differs from the CHIPS for America Program, created through the same law to boost semiconductor production with billions of dollars to support construction projects.
The grants in this Tech Hubs funding round range from $19 million to $51 million.
The goal is to “supercharge” the tech sector outside of the few areas typically associated with it by bringing together existing talent from the private sector, research institutions and labs, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters. She added that the bulk of new tech jobs are concentrated in the metro areas of Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and San Diego metro areas—with a 2019 report from the Brookings Institution saying they accounted for 90% of high-tech sector growth from 2005 to 2017.
“The reality is, there are smart people, great entrepreneurs and leading edge research institutions all across the country,” Raimondo said. “We’re leaving so much potential on the table if we don’t get them the resources to compete and win in the tech sectors that will define the 21st century global economy.”
The efforts funded by the grants vary. Many are focused on workforce, technology development or supporting entrepreneurs. Some include plans for construction, including the Elevate Quantum hub in Colorado and New Mexico, which plans to build open-access labs and fabrication plants for prototyping and low-volume manufacturing. The Heartland BioWorks hub in Indiana plans to build a training and demonstration facility and the iFab Tech Hub in Illinois intends to upgrade and expand facilities for companies to commercialize fermentation technologies.
“This landmark investment in iFAB’s vision and infrastructure will allow the U.S. to rival Europe and China, who have been investing heavily in this space,” said Nicole Batement, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Decatur & Macon County, Ill., in a statement.
Some hubs are focused on innovation that could impact the construction industry. At the South Florida ClimateReach Tech Hub, the focus is on sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure. Led by the Miami Dade County Innovation and Economic Development Office, one of its initiatives is scaling up reduced-emissions concrete by helping startups with production, validation efforts and business connections. The hub already has an agreement with The Underline, an in-development 10-mile linear park in Miami-Dade County to use concrete it produces.
“This investment from the Biden-Harris administration will enable us to confront the climate crisis head on, driving economic innovation and creating high-quality jobs here in South Florida,” said county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a statement.
The CHIPS Act authorized $10 billion for the Tech Hubs Program over five years, and $541 million has been appropriated so far.
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