Innovation Lightbulb: Federal Investments in Regional Emerging Tech Hubs to Secure America's Future

Last month, the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub broke ground on the new Quantum Tech Park in Arvada, Colorado. It is one of 31 Tech Hubs designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) to stimulate technology-based regional economic growth. With awards now being distributed via three major CHIPS Act programs, this week’s newsletter examines their potential impact on American innovation. 

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 established a suite of grant programs meant to catalyze technology cluster development, including the Tech Hubs Program under the Department of Commerce (DoC), Microelectronics Commons Hubs through the Department of Defense (DoD), and Innovation Engines through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Here’s a brief overview of each:  

1. Commerce’s Tech Hubs: 31 regional consortia that focus on specific emerging technologies. 12 received “implementation funding” between $19 million and $51 million starting in July 2024 for workforce development and manufacturing initiatives.  
2. DoD’s Microelectronics Commons Hubs: Eight networks that aim to close the “lab-to-fab” gap in microelectronics for commercial and defense applications, each receiving $15 million to $40 million.   
3. NSF’s Innovation Engines: Ten regions that each received an initial $15 million in grants covering multiple technology domains like robotics, advanced materials, and AI.   

The largest awards, at $51 million each, went to four of Commerce’s Tech Hubs: Heartland Bioworks based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, iFAB TechHub in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub in Akron, Ohio, and Tulsa Hub for Equitable and Trustworthy Autonomy from Tulsa, Oklahoma.   

These federal awards are expected to induce investment from the private sector and local governments, and in some cases already have. In addition to their $40.5 million implementation grant from Commerce, Elevate Quantum received $77 million from the state of Colorado and $10 million from New Mexico. These stacked investments facilitate the creation and expansion of innovation and industrial networks that connect researchers, designers, manufacturers, equipment makers, materials suppliers, and end-users.  

Next, by centering workforce development and training, these hubs also grow the high-demand skilled technical workforce while ensuring that regional and local communities benefit from their activities. With a sustained focus on education, including vocational training at community colleges, as well as development of pathways to high-quality jobs, these investments can positively impact the growth of local and regional ecosystems.  

Finally, these grant programs actively connect existing and new innovation resources across 49 states and Puerto Rico. Some programs span several consortia, allowing for synergy between Hubs and tech categories. For example, the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub is just down the road from the Rocky Mountain Innovation Engine, easing potential collaboration across teams working on quantum with AI, renewable energy, and robotics. Likewise, both the Southwest Advanced Prototyping Microelectronics Commons Hub and Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine will be hosted by Arizona State University, accelerating mutual advances in fields including advanced manufacturing, 5G/6G, disaster mitigation, and products for end-users.   

Data visualization by Mayank Munjal