10 Rising US Tech Hubs to Know About
With 31 designated tech hubs vying for a cut of the $500 million in CHIPS Act money meant to spur innovation, rural and urban areas outside of historical tech-heavy regions are getting attention.
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Elevate Quantum is a consortium of regional leaders in quantum technology that includes several companies and educational institutions with the goal of spurring innovation in emerging quantum computing technologies. Companies like Longpath, Maybell Quantum, Vescent Photonics and more are at the forefront of US efforts in quantum computing.
After the tech hub designation, Zachary Yerushalmi, Elevate Quantum’s CEO and Regional Innovation Officer said, “With quantum poised to transform the coming century, most people know that our region is a leader in quantum research and qubit development. But here, quantum is already out of the lab and creating good jobs for a wide range of people… Quantum in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming isn’t just Ph.D. physicists in labs, it’s good jobs for welders, soldering technicians, machinists, and others.”
The CorMic Tech Hub is led by Oregon State University and focused on microfluidic technology for semiconductors. The hub’s goal is to establish worldwide leadership in development, scaling, and commercialization of microfluidics technology for semiconductors and electronics cooling.
Microfluidics uses precisely controlled small volumes of liquid in the cooling process for greater cooling efficiency.
“Microfluids is an enabling technology for key industry sectors, including semiconductors, biotechnology and chemical manufacturing,” Tom Weller, chair of electrical engineering and computer science at Oregon State, said in a press release. “Microfluidics-based cooling is the way forward for increasing semiconductor performance and massively reducing energy expenditures, which will have a national impact on fossil fuel pollution.”
The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub -- led by Southern Methodist University -- will focus on innovation in the existing semiconductor supply chain in 29 counties in North Texas and Oklahoma through regional collaboration and workforce development.
The 41-member Texoma Semiconductor Innovation Consortium (TSIC) will start the planning and development stage for the hub. Efforts will include creating sophisticated and targeted semiconductor labs for manufacturing it calls “fablets,” appointing “commercialization councils” to link venture capitalists with future projects, and creating “workforce development councils” to promote opportunities created by the hub.
“We know how important the semiconductor industry is to the economic health of our country,” SMU Provost Elizabeth G. Loboa said in a statement. “And workforce development is key to our region’s progress … This is going to provide jobs and move our country forward.”
The Advancing Gallium Nitride (GaN) Tech Hub is a consortium between the University of Vermont and GlobalFoundries with a goal of strengthening GaN technologies used for semiconductors as demand from domestic production grows. Gallium nitride, also used in LED technology, can be used to boost power capabilities in semiconductors beyond what silicon technology can provide alone.
“GlobalFounders looks forward to deepening our partnership with UVM, working together to realize th full potential of high-volume manufacturing of GaN on silicon chips, and to driving US leadership in this emerging technology,” Ken McAvey, vice president and general manager of GlobalFoundries Vermont, said in a release.
Miami-based South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub’s goal is to meet climate challenges by developing, commercializing, and scaling sustainable resilient infrastructure (SRI) technologies used in clean energy generation, transmission, storage, building operations, and more.
“This is a generational opportunity that promises to tackle the climate crisis and directly fuel economic development here in South Florida,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a press release.
The tech hub is led by the South Florida Regional Planning Council, a consortium of local governments, businesses, universities and organizations. The hub hopes to capitalize on the SRI market, expected to reach a global market value of $1.3 trillion in 2032.
The NY SMART 1 Corridor Tech Hub includes a region in New York State that spans Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo and looks to capitalize on Micron’s plan to invest up to $100 billion over 20 years at the site in Syracuse that will become the largest memory chip manufacturing site in the US.
More than 80 public and private institutions in the region are part of the hub’s consortium.
“Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are officially on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway,” US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a release.
The New Energy New York Battery Tech Hub is a Binghamton University-led battery initiative and is the only battery industry awardee in the tech hub program for this round. The hub’s goal is to spur innovation and manufacturing in battery technology in New York State’s mostly rural Southern Tier.
“With this designation, Binghamton and the region will only grow as global leaders in energy storage solutions and will continue to be a driving force working towards a sustainable and secure energy future,” Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said in a release.
Led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a coalition of industry, academic, government and nonprofit stakeholders, the Bloch Tech Hub is focused on innovation in quantum information science and technology.
“The Chicago region is a major player driving US leadership in quantum, in part because of the deep partnerships we have fostered among leading research institutions and industry partners -- and in part because of strong federal and state government support,” David Awschalom, director of the Quantum Exchange and University of Chicago professor, said in a statement.
With a plan to advance the development of autonomous technologies, such as uncrewed aerial systems, drones, cybersecurity and generative artificial intelligence, the Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy will focus on spurring emerging technology development in Oklahoma.
“The autonomous systems revolution is upon us,” Jennifer Hankins, managing director for Tulsa Innovation Labs, said in a release. “This moment affirms Tulsa’s position as a nationwide leader in uncrewed aerial systems, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and other complementary industries.”
Tech Hub proponents hope to cash in on the $1.36 trillion autonomous systems market, with a goal of creating 200,000 jobs in the next decade with wages $7,000 higher than the national average for such positions.
The goal of the Headwaters Hub, led by the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Montana University System, is to rapidly scale the commercialization and industry applications of smart photonic sensing systems that can be deployed in autonomous systems and used in national security, resources, and disaster prevention applications.
The Headwaters Consortium leading the effort is a collaboration between various businesses, government agencies, and academic partners.
“The designation of Montana as a technology hub is a testament to our commitment to excel on the global stage, enhancing our national defense and competitiveness and securing our technological supply chains,” Todd O’Hair, president and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, said in a release. “This has the potential to propel our region’s economy to unprecedented heights.”
The goal of the Headwaters Hub, led by the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Montana University System, is to rapidly scale the commercialization and industry applications of smart photonic sensing systems that can be deployed in autonomous systems and used in national security, resources, and disaster prevention applications.
The Headwaters Consortium leading the effort is a collaboration between various businesses, government agencies, and academic partners.
“The designation of Montana as a technology hub is a testament to our commitment to excel on the global stage, enhancing our national defense and competitiveness and securing our technological supply chains,” Todd O’Hair, president and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, said in a release. “This has the potential to propel our region’s economy to unprecedented heights.”
The Biden Administration last week announced the designation of the tech hubs throughout the United states -- chosen from a list of 370 applicants. The tech hubs, located across 32 states and Puerto Rico, will be eligible to apply for $40 million to $75 million in federal funding. Biden has asked Congress for $4 billion in additional funding for the tech hub program.
While the bulk of the CHIP Act’s $52 billion will be spent on semiconductor research, the tech hubs are focused on broad technologies ranging from climate science to quantum computing and beyond. Many of the hubs are consortiums led by public universities in conjunction with tech companies.
InformationWeek takes a look at 10 exciting tech hubs in the following slides.
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