Sen. Casey urges Commerce Secretary to implement Tech Hubs Program

In a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) asked for swift implementation of the Tech Hubs Program, as well as locating a Tech Hub in Pennsylvania.

Created by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Tech Hubs Program is an economic development initiative designed to accelerate economic growth and create high-paying jobs in cities across the country. Casey argued in his letter that Pennsylvania’s regional tech specializations – from life sciences in the southeastern part of the state to agricultural innovation in Central Pennsylvania, to robotics, space technology, and additive manufacturing in the southwest, as well as the state’s numerous universities, make it an ideal location for a tech hub.

“EDA must move quickly to award designations, award regional planning dollars, and ultimately fund nationally important work in newly designated hubs throughout the country,” Casey wrote. “My team and I have engaged with stakeholders throughout Pennsylvania; they are ready to compete, both for this opportunity as soon as it is available and with the global economy.”

Casey said the state’s existing strengths would lead to a successful Tech Hub and that the universities within the state would continue to create a workforce pipeline. He argued that existing transportation infrastructure would also support an influx in economic activity.

Previously, Casey has asked Raimondo to consider the state for future semiconductor manufacturing investments, saying such an investment would reduce America’s reliance on foreign manufacturing of critical technology.