WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement urging the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to select West Virginia as a location for Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs).
The Tech Hubs Program, created by the bipartisan CHIPS-Plus Act, is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional technology- and innovation-centric growth by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical technologies.
“West Virginia is currently witnessing a boom in technology companies joining our business family, and the establishment of Tech Hubs in our state would further solidify our standing as a technology driver in the United States. West Virginia’s geographic diversity and applications are well aligned with the intent of the program, and would lead to major success for not only our state, but our country as well. Continuing the conversations I have had with leadership at both the Department of Commerce and EDA, I once again implore the EDA to consider the value that West Virginia can establish through this program, and encourage them to select the Mountain State through the application process,” Senator Capito said.
BACKGROUND:
The Tech Hubs Program is a two-phase competition that will provide direct investment in geographically diverse regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to transform into globally competitive innovation centers in approximately 10 years while catalyzing the creation of good jobs for American workers at all skill levels, both equitably and inclusively.
Currently, there are three West Virginia locations with applications to establish a Tech Hub.
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