Biden-Harris Administration’s Tech Hubs Program Awards Approximately $44 Million to ReGen Valley Tech Hub in New Hampshire to Strengthen the Region’s Capacity as a Global Leader in Biofabrication
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), has announced that it is slated to award approximately $44 million to ReGen Valley Tech Hub, a consortium led by the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute in New Hampshire, to implement five projects that will bolster the region’s ability to scale up the production and delivery of critical technologies that will advance biotechnology in drugs and medical devices.
In October 2023, ReGen Valley Tech Hub was selected as one of 31 Designated Tech Hubs in regions across the country as part of Phase 1 of the new Tech Hubs Program, a flagship initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries. The designation is a strong endorsement of the consortium’s regional plan to supercharge its respective critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader over the next decade.
“Every American deserves the opportunity to thrive, no matter where they live. Today’s announcement that the Department of Commerce is investing $504 million in Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs across the country will ensure that the benefits of the industries of the future – from artificial intelligence and clean energy, to biotechnology and more – are shared with communities that have been overlooked for far too long, including rural, Tribal, industrial, and disadvantaged communities,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “These Tech Hubs will give regions across our nation the resources and opportunities necessary to lead in the economy of tomorrow while creating good-paying jobs for American workers.”
“President Biden has been clear that you shouldn’t have to move to one of a handful of cities to get a good-paying job in tech. Now, thanks to the Tech Hubs program, we’re making good on that sentiment by expanding America’s innovation ecosystem and creating economic opportunity in new technology sectors all over the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to his Investing in America agenda, the ReGen Valley Tech Hub and the other Tech Hub awardees will play a critical role in accelerating America’s leadership in the industries of the future, all while creating high quality, family-sustaining 21st century jobs in people’s backyards.”
As one of 12 Tech Hub Designees selected for implementation funding, ReGen Valley Tech Hub will leverage this award to support projects that are:
- Scaling commercialization capacity by building on foundational manufacturing, regulatory, and commercialization resources;
- Creating a multi-institution Common Campus model to meet biofabrication workforce needs through retaining, developing, and attracting talent;
- Increasing awareness and adoption of regenerative therapies among clinicians and the public through training and outreach events;
- Scaling a paid apprenticeship training program to fill workforce gaps, and provide childcare spaces for the biofabrication industry’s workforce; and
- Driving consortium-wide engagement through training, policy adoption, and dispute resolution while also collecting and ensuring metrics, outcomes, and broader impacts are equitably distributed and efforts are driving inclusive growth.
The final grant amount will be finalized in the coming months.
The ReGen Valley Tech Hub aims to make New Hampshire a global leader in biofabrication to produce cost-effective regenerative therapies that address chronic disease and organ failure. Amidst growing commercial demand for these therapies and building on its EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge award, this Tech Hub aims to advance biofabrication-related therapies, train critical workforce, and invest in manufacturing facilities to secure domestic regenerative therapy development and biofabrication. (Click here to learn more about the ReGen Valley Tech Hub)
“The Department of Commerce is laser focused on expanding economic opportunity to every corner of this country,” said Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. “The Tech Hubs program is a commitment to American economic prosperity and success. These 12 awardees embody the innovation and creativity that can be found nationwide, boosting U.S. manufacturing and bolstering U.S. global competitiveness, bringing President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to the forefront.”
“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. “We’re excited to see this initial round of implementation funding supporting a surge of new jobs, new technologies, and new energy to bolster America’s competitiveness.”
“Today’s announcement further proves Southern New Hampshire’s enormous potential and how the region is poised not only to drive innovation in biofabrication, but to also emerge as a new industrial powerhouse and global competitor,” said New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “This award to ReGen Valley will enable the creation of more good jobs right here in New Hampshire, the development of the technology that will save lives and help bolster our STEM workforce pipeline. I thank Deputy Secretary Graves for joining me today in Manchester for this exciting announcement.”
“The ReGen Valley Tech Hub and ARMI are making New Hampshire an epicenter for biofabrication innovation and technology, forging critical advances for both our health care and our national security,” said New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan. “In 2022, I worked to pass into law bipartisan legislation to strengthen our supply chains, lower costs, and build more manufacturing in the United States – and to make projects like the ReGen Valley Tech Hub a reality. With this latest round of federal funding, I look forward to seeing all that ReGen Valley and ARMI will continue to do to strengthen New Hampshire’s workforce and make scientific and technological advances.”
“ReGen Valley Tech Hub firmly places Manchester and New Hampshire as a leader in biofabrication,” said Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01). “I supported the CHIPS and Science Act, which established the Tech Hubs program, and this award will further help recruit and retain a biofabrication workforce as well as increase awareness and adoption of regenerative therapies. Thanks to the dedication of the partners and stakeholders in this effort, ReGen Valley Tech Hub is doing state-of-the-art work that will save lives. I will continue to advocate for federal investments in biofabrication, innovation, and domestic manufacturing.”
“The pioneering work being undertaken by the ReGen Valley Consortium is driving medical innovation and the future of care,” said Representative Ann Kuster (NH-02). “From investing in the future of our biofabrication workforce and creating good-paying jobs right here at home to leading advancements in regenerative medicine and therapies, this significant funding will help ensure New Hampshire remains a leader in developing transformative technologies for the region and our country.”
The Tech Hubs Program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which he signed into law in August 2022. The statute authorized $10 billion for the program over five years. To date, EDA has been appropriated $541 million for the program.
The United States is the global leader in research and development, and the Tech Hubs Program 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.