Joe Biden’s administration unveiled on Monday the list of 31 “tech hubs” that will emerge in the United States as part of the massive investment plans the president is counting on for his re-election next year.
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US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo is betting that these centers will “create good jobs” and “enhance our national security and also our economic security.”
“These investments in innovation will (…) support our ability to be competitive and, frankly, to outperform the rest of the world,” she continued during a press conference.
Selected from 400 applications, the 31 centers will now apply for grants of up to $75 million.
They were created as part of the Chips and Science Act, a law passed in the summer of 2022 to release $52 billion in subsidies to revive semiconductor production in the United States.
These components, crucial to many industries (automotive, electronics, defense, etc.), are manufactured primarily in Asia, and the American government has made the return of electronic chip factories a priority.
Several technology centers will therefore be dedicated to the semiconductor industry, such as the “Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub” in Texas and Oklahoma.
“We have lost our edge in producing these components and investing in early-stage research and development will allow us to regain our edge and stay at the forefront,” Ms. Raimondo said.
The technology centers will be located in around thirty states from Oregon to Florida and will also specialize in energy transition, biotechnologies and even quantum computing.
“Places like San Francisco, Southern California and Boston are de facto technology hubs that have been the driving force behind much of our innovation and prosperity,” the minister said.
“But they do not reflect the full potential of our country,” she said. “The United States has much more to offer. (…) Silicon Valley and the others do not have a monopoly on big ideas.”
For his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, Joe Biden is particularly highlighting his investment plans called “Bidenomics”, which, in his opinion, should enable “the restoration of the American dream”.