Senior Department of Commerce Official to Visit Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub in Oregon

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Deputy Assistant Secretary Cristina Killingsworth will visit the Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, serving Oregon and Washington. The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), designated the Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, led by Oregon State University, as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) in October 2023. 

The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub (PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub) aims to be a global leader in mass timber design, manufacturing, and construction to lower the construction industry’s carbon footprint and increase housing affordability. While there, Tech Hubs program leadership will work with the Hub to strengthen their strategy to meet the immediate and future demands 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 Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub is a strong endorsement of the region’s plan to supercharge its critical technology ecosystem and become a global timber leader over the next decade, advancing U.S. national security and global competitiveness.   

“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 Deputy Assistant Secretary Cristina Killingsworth. “I am thrilled to visit Oregon 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 the Oregon and Washington region. 

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.