Governor Shapiro: Pennsylvania Designated as a Regional Tech Hub, Receives Strategy Development Grant
The Pennsylvania Hub, among 31 nationwide, will spur innovation, strengthen manufacturing, create good-paying jobs, and make the Commonwealth the center of a growing industry.
Harrisburg, PA – In the latest win for Pennsylvania’s growing technology sector, the Shapiro Administration and Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced Pennsylvania has secured the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) Technology Hub designation for the Greater Philadelphia Area, and a Strategy Planning Grant for North Central Pennsylvania. This announcement is another step toward the Commonwealth becoming a national leader in technology and innovation. Both were the result of a competitive process in each category within a pool of several hundred applicants nationwide.
The Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub, led by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, will leverage the region’s life sciences assets to become a global leader in precision medicine. The Tech Hub Designation makes it eligible to apply for the next phase of the program that will invest between $50-$75 million in each of up to 10 Designated Hubs. The Ben Franklin Technology Partnership is the Commonwealth’s flagship innovation program which accelerates the growth of technology-based industries in Pennsylvania.
The North Central Pressed Materials Strategy Development Consortium in Ridgway, Elk County, led by the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, will develop a strategic roadmap to strengthen the rural region’s capacity to diversify the production of pressed materials and machined parts such as their emerging application to electric vehicle production. The grant will help the initiative to build economic development plans to compete for future rounds of the Tech Hub program. The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania that work with Federal and State agencies to enhance community and economic development in their counties.
“Congratulations to our economic development partners, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA and North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission on their hard work in securing these hub projects. There is no question, the Biden-Harris administration recognizes the great capacity we have for technology and innovation in the Commonwealth,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “The Tech Hub designation in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Planning Grant in our rural North Central counties will mean an incredible expansion in advanced technology, and we are proud to support their work which will lead to innovation and significant job growth.”
The EDA Tech Hubs Program aims to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in diverse regions across the country with assets and resources with the potential to become globally competitive in the technologies and industries of the future — and for those industries, companies, and the good jobs they create, to start, grow, and remain in the United States.
“Economic development ultimately is about people, and these Tech Hub awards will help to bring the good-paying jobs of the future not just to our large cities but to our rural communities as well,” said Secretary Siger. “The Shapiro Administration is focused on growing the economy and empowering Pennsylvania workers. These designations can lead to advanced tech projects that create and retain jobs and help position Pennsylvania as a global leader in innovation, making our Commonwealth a better place to live and work.”
The EDA Tech Hub announcement comes on the heels of the $750 million federal investment the Shapiro Administration helped secure for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) in Philadelphia. The MACH2 hub will create thousands of good-paying union jobs across the region and ensure that Pennsylvania is a national leader in clean energy for decades to come. The Biden Administration also selected the ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub based in West Virginia, which will create 21,000 jobs for the Appalachian region, including in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Governor Shapiro and his Administration are leading a renewed focus on economic development to send the clear message that Pennsylvania is open for business to attract and retain businesses and bring transformational, good-paying jobs to the Commonwealth.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov