Proposed center earns U.S. Tech Hub designation

COEUR d'ALENE — President Joe Biden gave an initial nod of support Monday to the proposed American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center in the Inland Northwest.

The Biden administration announced it designated 31 technology hubs that are aimed at innovation and job creation. The local entry, a center planned in Spokane to serve the region, including North Idaho, was among roughly 400 applications received.

"For the first time in a long time, we’re investing in America, and we’re investing in the American people," Biden said during a press conference.

Thayne McCulloh, president of Gonzaga University and a leader of a local consortium that formed to support the center's creation, was pleased they are advancing to the next round and possibly landing $40 million to $70 million.

"I think this is a huge win for the region," he said Monday. "There is tremendous potential in Eastern Washington and North Idaho for all kinds of amazing things to happen."

Linda Coppess, president of the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber, said moving on to phase two bolsters hopes that "we will have this amazing resource that will create awesome workforce development for our people."

"I think it’s fantastic for our community," she said.

The center would combine applied education research, workforce training and advanced production, principally located in a 386,000-square-foot repurposed manufacturing facility near Spokane International Airport.

Backers believe it could create thousands of skilled, high-paying jobs and allow locals to keep up with the rising cost of housing.

“With the region’s world-class aerospace workforce, this innovative center is designed to meet immediate and next-generation development and production of advanced aerospace materials and reduce American reliance on foreign-produced composites,” a press release said.

A regional partnership of organizations from Washington and Idaho put together the proposal.

North Idaho member agencies of the consortium include the cities of Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, North Idaho College, the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, the Coeur d’Alene Economic Development Corp. and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

According to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a "Tech Hubs Designation is a strong endorsement of a region’s plan to supercharge a critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader over the next decade."

Tech Hubs designees are eligible to apply for funds.

"In Phase 2, EDA will award implementation grants to 5-10 Designated Tech Hubs, with each of those Hubs receiving approximately $40-$70 million across approximately 3-8 projects," a press release said.

Eleven of the 31 Designated Tech Hubs received Strategy Development Grants "to increase local coordination and planning activities to further develop their technology-based regional economic development strategy.

Eighteen other consortia received SDGs "to further mature their plans and achieve Designation in the future."

McCulloh said their application was "robust enough" that it received the designation, but did not land a grant to go with it.

"They felt we didn’t need the funding to do the planning," he said. "We've already already done the work in their mind."

Vicki Isakson, dean of instruction, workforce education with North Idaho College, said they were confident in their application.

She said it involved a significant amount of detail and a large number of people from two states.

"That probably gave us a leg up over other states," she said.

The consortium's partners will next meet to talk strategy, see what's needed from each and determine the best to move forward with its application, Isakson said.

"I'm excited to be a part of it," she said.

Competition was fierce.

“I have to say, in my entire career in public service, I have never seen as much interest in any initiative than this one," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters Sunday.

The tech hubs are the result of a process Raimondo's department launched in May to distribute a total of $500 million in grants to cities.

The $500 million came from a $10 billion authorization in last year’s CHIPS and Science Act to stimulate investments in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotech. It’s an attempt to expand tech investment that is largely concentrated around a few U.S. cities — Austin, Texas; Boston; New York; San Francisco; and Seattle — to the rest of the country.

“These Tech Hubs will catalyze investment in technologies critical to economic growth, national security, and job creation, and will help communities across the country become centers of innovation critical to American competitiveness,” the White House said Monday in an emailed statement.

The 31 tech hubs reach Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Montana, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, New Hampshire, Missouri, Kansas, Maryland, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Minnesota, Louisiana, Idaho, Wyoming, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, Nevada, Missouri, Oregon, Vermont, Ohio, Maine, Washington and Puerto Rico.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.