In a move aimed at fostering innovation and economic development, the Biden-Harris administration with the US Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Tech Hubs program today unveiled the designation of 31 Tech Hubs across the US.
Included in that news: The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is now officially recognized as a 2023 Tech Hubs designee.
EDA Tech Hubs is a program funded by the CHIPS and Science Act with the goal of empowering regions that may not have the same financial resources or renown as places like Silicon Valley. The hope is that creating federal designations for what might be lesser-known regions could enable the areas to compete on a global scale when it comes to its tech ecosystems. Nearly 400 regions across the US, including Baltimore, DC, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Delaware, formed consortiums made up of partners from various industries and sectors from academia to local government to apply for Phase 1 and potentially be eligible for millions in funding in Phase 2, which kicks off this fall.
“Winning an application is not the end of the process; it’s the beginning,” explained Bruce Katz, a seasoned urban policy expert and the director of Drexel University’s Nowak Metro Finance Lab, in a prior interview with Technical.ly. “It’s part of a broader strategy for global competitiveness.”
