Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alejandra Castillo to Visit the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub in Spokane, Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Department of Commerce announced that Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo will visit the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub in Spokane, Washington. The Biden‑Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), designated the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub, led by American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center, as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) in October 2023.

The American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub highlights the region’s role as an emerging global leader in next-generation lightweight aircraft. While there, she and Tech Hubs Program Director Eric Smith will work with the Hub to strengthen their strategy to meet the immediate and future demands of defense and commercial aerospace markets, ultimately enabling more – and more sustainable – air travel while advancing a technology sector critical to U.S. national security.

The Tech Hubs Program is a flagship initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries. The designation of the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub is a strong endorsement of the region’s plan to supercharge its critical technology ecosystem and become a global aerospace leader over the next decade, advancing U.S. national security and global competitiveness.  

“The American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub in Washington State embodies the spirit and potential of the Tech Hubs program to take centers of excellence and make them world-class tech ecosystems through targeted investments,” said Secretary Raimondo. “That’s precisely why I’ve asked Assistant Secretary Castillo to travel to Washington with a team to meet with leadership and provide technical assistance on their strategy in the defense and aerospace markets. The Tech Hubs Program is crucial to ensuring tech industries vital to U.S. economic and national security start, stay, and grow in the U.S., and that’s why I’m committed to future rounds of funding and working with lawmakers to support additional federal resources to support all of our designees.”

“The 31 Tech Hubs Designees 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. “I am thrilled to visit Spokane to see firsthand how this Hub is not only bolstering America’s competitiveness but will ultimately ensure the industries and jobs of the future start, grow, and remain in eastern Washington.”  

The Tech Hubs Program, authorized for $10 billion in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, is designed to increase the capacity and pace with which Americans make, deliver, and deploy innovative technologies, creating new, growing companies and new, good jobs. 

Read more about the Tech Hubs program at 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.