Eric Smith, Tech Hubs Director, to Visit Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub in Rolla, Missouri

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Department of Commerce announced Eric Smith will visit the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub in Rolla, Missouri. The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), designated the CM2AE Tech Hub, led by University of Missouri Systems, as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) in October 2023. 

The CM2AE Tech Hub highlights the region’s role as an emerging global leader in critical mineral processing.  While there, Tech Hubs program leadership  will work with the Hub to strengthen their strategy to meet the immediate and future demands of the critical minerals supply chain 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 CM2AE Tech Hub is a strong endorsement of the region’s plan to supercharge its critical technology ecosystem and become a global critical mineral processing leader over the next decade, advancing U.S. national security and global competitiveness.   

“The CM2AE Tech Hub in Rolla, Missouri, 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 of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “That’s precisely why I’ve asked Director Smith to travel to Missouri with a team to meet with leadership and provide technical assistance on their strategy. 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 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.