August 14, 2024 | Robert Campbell
The CHIPS and Science Act is a federal statute enacted by the US Congress and signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden on August 9, 2022. The Act designates roughly $106 billion in various types of funding, both direct sponsorship and tax breaks in the hopes of encouraging American companies to build new silicon chip manufacturing plants in the United States. There’s lots of funding for advanced semiconductor research and development, some of which will go to the National Science Foundation to stimulate education and thereby resolve short-term labor supply issues.
The US government collected over 400 applications from across America, and in October 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration recognized and funded 31 regional Tech Hubs to spur innovation, strengthen manufacturing, and create good paying jobs. These 31 Tech Hubs have already received some funding and now compete for even more benefits in Phase 2 of the program.
Tech Hubs span thirty-two states and Puerto Rico and experts believe fostering their growth will help propel American innovation in chip manufacturing and other related industries. The act authorizes roughly $280 billion in new funding to bolster US semiconductor capacity, stimulating more R&D while training a larger, more inclusive STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) workforce.
What is a Tech Hub?
Clustered around major American universities and research institutes are communities of high tech businesses which thrive because of their close association and the way they share new ideas and conspire to create innovative assembly processes.
Earning an official Tech Hubs designation from the US government is a strong endorsement of an economic region’s plan to supercharge a critical technological ecosystem and become a global leader over time.
Tech Hubs Designees as they’re officially called, have already received grant money and most have since applied for the Tech Hubs Phase 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity (the deadline was 29 February 2024). Those applications are in, and now we’re waiting for subsequent announcements to tell us which Tech Hubs will receive the Phase 2 Implementation Award through the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
What are the 31 Tech Hubs?
- 1. Buffalo, Rochester, WNY, NY: NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub
- 2. Oklahoma: Trustworthy & Equitable Autonomous Systems Tech Hub
- 3. Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Ocean Tech Hub
- 4. Montana: Headwaters Hub
- 5. Colorado: Elevate Quantum Colorado
- 6. Illinois: The Bloch Tech Hub
- 7. Virginia: Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Tech Hub
- 8. New Hampshire: ReGen Valley Tech Hub
- 9. Illinois: iFab Tech Hub
- 10. Kansas City: Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub
- 11. Indiana: Heartland BioWorks
- 12. Puerto Rico: PRBio Tech Hub
- 13. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub
- 14. Alabama: Birmingham Biotechnology Hub
- 15. Pennsylvania: Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub
- 16. Minnesota: Minnesota MedTech 3.0
- 17. Louisiana: Gulf Louisiana Offshore Wind Propeller
- 18. Boise, Idaho: Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Tech Hub
- 19. South Carolina and Georgia: SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy
- 20. Florida: South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub
- 21. New York: New Energy New York (NENY) Battery Tech Hub
- 22. Nevada: Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop
- 23. Missouri: Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub
- 24. Texas: Texoma Semiconductor Innovation Consortium
- 25. Oregon: Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub
- 26. Vermont: Advancing GaN Tech Hub
- 27. Ohio: Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub
- 28. Maine: Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub
- 29. Washington: American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub
- 30. Washington: Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub
- 31. Maryland: Baltimore Tech Hub
After securing the Tech Hub designation for Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor Consortium (NY SMART I-Corridor), U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer then announced the coalition has officially submitted its application for up to $54 million in additional funding as per the Phase 2 Implementation funding.
In the article link below, KPDI has already examined this nearby tech cluster and why it’s perfectly positioned to be the most successful Tech Hub.
Why is Buffalo NY the fastest growing Tech Hub in the United States?
Buffalo has a skilled workforce in a handy location with plenty of room to expand. It’s an increasingly important commercial center and is growing faster than Boston, and the Bay Area, San Francisco, and every other Tech Hub in the United States.
Why KPDI?
These are just some of the reasons why KPDI has chosen Buffalo as it’s new satellite office and is partnering with businesses across Buffalo and WNY innovate with digital transformation solutions and helping them develop new digital technologies.
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