Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Cluster
Coalition Lead: Indian Nation Council of Governments
Phase 2 Award: $39 million
Private Investment (Sept. 2022 – Sept. 2024): $1.7 million
Additional Public and Nonprofit Funding (Sept. 2022 – Sept. 2024): $159 million
Project Description: The Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility (TRAM) Cluster is leveraging a $39 million BBBRC grant to transition the region from its legacy of oil and gas and traditional manufacturing to advanced mobility, automation, and unmanned aerial systems. The Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility (TRAM) Cluster is leveraging the region’s unique physical and educational assets to build out an advanced aerial mobility sector.
Among the partnering organizations in the region are Oklahoma State University, Partner Tulsa, the Osage Nation, Tulsa Community Foundation, Tulsa Innovation Labs, the Tulsa Port of Inola, the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, Tulsa Community College, the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, and the Tulsa Technology Center.
As of September 2024, the coalition has made significant strides in standing up an advanced aerial mobility technology cluster.
- The region’s Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) Tech Hub was selected as one of 31 Designated Tech Hubs and received a $51 million Phase 2 Tech Hubs award to become a global leader in developing and commercializing autonomous systems for use cases ranging from agriculture and pipeline inspections to regional transportation. The coalition is expanding its operations to include startup commercialization, the construction of a state-of-the-art testing and simulation environment, and bolstering workforce development programs.
- The Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance has developed and begun enrollment in an advanced mobility apprenticeship program to aid businesses in finding high-quality talent and students in securing well-paying employment with potential for upward economic mobility. The program has hosted 29 apprentices and is working alongside two local manufacturing and technology firms.
- Oklahoma State University’s LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility, a newly established research institution focused on the promotion and development of new technologies in advanced air mobility, partnered with private-sector firms to design, validate, and build new drone technologies. Projects include utilizing unmanned aerial drones to assist first responders during emergencies and testing flight patterns in inclement weather.
Coalition Overarching Narrative (applicant submitted) (PDF)
“The TRAM Cluster is a collaboration between public, private, non-profit, Tribal, and academic institutions committed to creating a thriving and inclusive advanced mobility ecosystem in Tulsa.”
Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Cluster
Related Links
- Learn more about how Partner Tulsa is helping to grow an inclusive economic cluster.
- Learn more about Tulsa Innovation Lab’s work in expanding advanced air mobility technology.
- Learn more about the complementary Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) vision for technological innovation.
In the News
- Osage Nation begins construction on droneport, tech innovation center
- Software agreement creates new opportunities for drone research, startup development in northeast Oklahoma
- New ‘LaunchPad’ to elevate Oklahoma’s place in aerospace
- Skyway 36 is the Drone-Testing Site the Industry’s Been Waiting For
- WindShape Expands Global Reach with State-of-the-Art Drone Testing Laboratories in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Additional Designations Earned in Region
