Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Develop Additive Manufacturing System Technologies in Radford, Virginia

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium in Radford, Virginia, was awarded a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant. It will help to advance a regional strategy to develop and deploy additive manufacturing system technologies for heavy industry to re-shore manufacturing and to strengthen domestic supply chain resilience.

The Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium, led by the New River Valley Regional Commission, will leverage the grant to increase local coordination and planning activities to strengthen its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technologies critical to U.S. economic and national security. The Tech Hubs Program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, is investing in U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. This consortium was selected for a grant from a competitive pool of 181 applications.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will empower the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs Program is fundamental to that mission and will supercharge innovation across the nation by spurring cutting-edge technological investments and creating 21st century job opportunities in people’s backyards,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future—and their good-paying jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States.”

“These outstanding consortia exemplify place-based economic development strategies at their best: combining federal resources with regional assets, expertise, and coalitions to implement transformational opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “As each region develops its own strategy to catalyze innovation and job creation, the entire nation grows more secure and more competitive.”

“Today’s selection of Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium as a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant recipient is great news for the New River Valley and for the Commonwealth as a whole.  I am proud to have supported this application and look forward to continuing the growth of the New River Valley’s innovation economy,” said Virginia Senator Mark R. Warner. “The CHIPS & Science Act, which I was proud to author and lead through Congress, continues to bring high-paying, competitive jobs to Virginia.”

“Last month, I visited MELD manufacturing in Christiansburg and saw up close the strength of Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium. Today’s exciting announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce is a recognition of the incredible work Virginians have already accomplished through this partnership, and their great potential for job creation in the future. As Seapower Chair on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am particularly impressed with how these innovations will enhance our national security. I will continue to do all that I can to support economic development in the New River Valley and applaud the innovators there that keep Virginia at the cutting-edge,” said Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

“Today’s announcement by the Department of Commerce that the Radford additive manufacturing consortium has been chosen for a tech hub strategy development grant is not only great news for the country, but also for the region,” said Representative H. Morgan Griffith (VA-09). “I am proud to have supported this application, led by the New River Regional Commission, and am eager to see how this award will help Southwest Virginia’s nascent additive manufacturing sector prepare to compete as a tech hub. I am also excited to see how MELD manufacturing, a leader in 3D printing of hard metals, will have the opportunity to collaborate with the research consortium to advance additive manufacturing.”

For a full list of Tech Hubs, visit TechHubs.gov.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.