Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Fuel Advanced Energy and Materials Manufacturing in West Virginia

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that West Virginia Advanced Energy & Industrial Technology Manufacturing (WV-AEIM) Strategy Development Consortium in Bridgeport, West Virginia, was awarded a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant to develop the strategy to onshore manufacturing and emerging technologies – including carbon and graphite materials and energy storage solutions – and critical supply chains across the state.

The West Virginia Advanced Energy & Industrial Technology Manufacturing (WV-AEIM) Strategy Development Consortium, a consortium led by Allegheny Science & Technology Corporation, 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.”

“West Virginia ingenuity and grit built our great nation, and these Tech Hub Strategic Development Grants will encourage a new chapter of innovation and entrepreneurship in our state,” said West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. “The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act will help make the United States a global leader in the semiconductor industry again and will enable West Virginia to compete in the industry. Although I am disappointed that West Virginia was not designated as a regional Tech Hub this time, I am confident that with these investments West Virginia will continue to grow and develop their technology bonafides to secure such designation in the near future.”

“This Tech Hubs grant is a gamechanger for our region in protecting America’s technological dominance, advancing clean energy innovation, and expanding domestic manufacturing. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, the CHIPS and Science Act is paying real dividends in every community across the country,” said Representative Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11).

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.