The Aug. 15 deadline for the first EDA Tech Hubs application is coming up fast. With it comes the end of Phase 1 of the CHIPS and Science Act-funded economic development initiative.

About 20 regions will be officially designated as Tech Hubs and eligible to apply for strategy implementation funding — between $50 million and $75 million — in Phase 2, which is scheduled to start this fall.

The application process involves collaboration, focus and strategic vision. Each application must be put together by a consortium, which selects one of 10 focus areas, including AI, biotech, robotics and semiconductor technology. Each consortium has to include an institute of higher education; a state, territorial, local or Tribal agency; a relevant industry group; an economic development organization; and a labor or workforce development organization.

We at Technical.ly dove into each of our five markets — Philadelphia, Delaware, Baltimore, DC and Pittsburgh — to get an idea of how their regional consortia, some of which overlap, are shaping up. 

Here’s a roundup:

Philadelphia

Philly reporter Sarah Huffman connected with Chief Science Officer Tony Green of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the state-backed venture firm leading a consortium of over 50 partners across southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware. They’re focusing on the region’s life sciences strengths.

“We all believe that this is a real opportunity, if we are able to get this hub designation, to move the industry forward and to move the region forward,” said Anne Nadol, the city’s commerce director. 

Delaware

Northern Delaware is part of the Philadelphia Metro Area, southern Delaware is part of the Delmarva region and the state has been known to pull its three counties together and go it alone. Delaware reporter Holly Quinn found consensus among members of the state’s tech community that this is a time for collaboration with neighboring states.

“I think an entity within Delaware like the University of Delaware could be a lead entity on a consortium,” said Noah Olsen of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. “I think that it would be counterproductive to go it alone, though, because different entities in Delaware can participate on proposals that are led by an entity from Philadelphia, from Southern New Jersey or from Northeastern Maryland.”

Baltimore 

Baltimore reporter Alanah Nichole Davis got a close look at who’s who in Baltimore’s consortium of 40+ entities, which include Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University and UpSurge Baltimore. This consortium’s focus lies at the intersection of biotechnology and AI. 

“What makes Baltimore unique compared to other tech hubs is exactly this collaborative approach that has mobilized stakeholders from across sectors,” UpSurge Baltimore COO Madeline Stokes said. “We have mobilized and built momentum around our collective vision to become the first Equitech city — an inclusive tech city that unlocks opportunities and economic benefits for residents.”

Washington, DC 

In general, DC doesn’t often receive this kind of federal funding. It’s already a technology center (not to mention, the home of Amazon HQ2). As part of the DMV region, however, DC has potential to be part of a larger designated Tech Hub, reporter Michaela Althouse found.

“The Greater Washington area, suburban Maryland, Northern Virginia and the district have a tremendous debt of assets in the region that is very, very unique,” George Thomas, chief innovation officer for Connected DMV said. “So we are competitive to any other region in the generic assets, federal labs, industrial reaches.”

Thomas noted that of the regional applications he heard about, one rooted in DC’s Maryland suburbs focused on the commercialization of advanced technologies like AI and quantum computing, while another in Northern Virginia prioritized climate resilience.  

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh reporter Atiya Irvin-Mitchell caught up with Kinsey Casey, University of Pittsburgh’s vice chancellor for economic development for health sciences, about a biotech-focused consortium.

“We wanted to figure out how we could differentiate ourselves from other regions that want to be biotech,” Casey said. “Where we really think we have an interesting strength is in partnership with [Carnegie Mellon University] and their robotics, AI [and] advanced manufacturing.”

Check out what’s going on in each region, and let us know if you have any thoughts about the EDA Tech Hubs program by responding to this email. 

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

— Technical.ly reporter Holly Quinn ([email protected])