Biden-Harris Administration Designates Tech Hub in Kansas City Region to Drive Innovation in Vaccine-Related Biologics Manufacturing

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (KC BioHub) was designated as one of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs in regions across the country that show potential for rapid growth in key technology sectors.

KC BioHub, a consortium led by BioNexus KC, will increase domestic production of life-saving vaccines and other preventative technologies by strengthening innovation in animal and human vaccine development. With the largest concentration of animal health and nutrition companies in the world, this Tech Hub will leverage the region’s biotechnology assets and existing vaccine manufacturing facilities, research institutions, and startup ecosystem to enable the U.S. to capture a greater market share of human vaccine development.

This designation is part of the first phase of the novel Tech Hubs program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, that will invest directly in high-potential U.S. regions and aim to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. Designation is an endorsement of the region’s strategy to supercharge their respective technological industry to create jobs and strengthen U.S. economic and national security. Designated Tech Hubs are now eligible to apply for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program that will invest between $50-$75 million in each of 5-10 Designated Hubs.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will empower the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs Program is fundamental to that mission and will supercharge innovation across the nation by spurring cutting-edge technological investments and creating 21st century job opportunities in people’s backyards,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future—and their good-paying jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States.”

“These outstanding consortia 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. “As each region develops its own strategy to catalyze innovation and job creation, the entire nation grows more secure and more competitive.”

“This announcement represents official recognition of something we have known in Kansas and Missouri for awhile: the Kansas City region and the Animal Health Corridor have the concentration of expertise and research and development resources necessary to be a global bio and medical technology hub,” said Kansas Senator Jerry Moran. “This designation will attract public and private resources to grow this key technology area in Kansas and Missouri, further expanding the region’s capacity for innovation in the biotech sector. I supported the CHIPS and Science Act to give organizations in Kansas the opportunity to help strengthen our national and economic security, particularly by increasing research in key technology areas, like biotechnology. I applaud the efforts of BioNexus and the other consortium of members in Kansas and Missouri on a successful Tech Hubs application.”

“The KC BioHub’s designation as a Regional Tech Hub holds immense potential for the Kansas City region and Kansas as a whole. It will help companies, organizations, and academic institutions forge better partnerships to advance cutting-edge research. Critically, this prestigious designation will also create good-paying jobs and ensure the technology of the future is developed in Kansas, not overseas. The local economic growth and new discoveries, particularly in medication development, that we'll see over the coming decade cannot be overstated, and I'm glad to have worked in a bipartisan manner to bring these investments home,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03).

“With world-class institutions and forward-thinking organizations like BioNexus KC, Kansas City has long been a national leader in healthcare innovation, biomedical research, and biomanufacturing—and today’s announcement is a recognition that the work we’re doing in the region has been noticed at the highest levels of the federal government,” said Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05). “Thanks to this designation, BioNexus KC and organizations throughout the region will have an opportunity to receive up to $75 million in federal funding, attract additional philanthropic and private investment, and expand the development of cutting-edge medicines and life-saving vaccines. And we can do all of that while creating quality jobs and boosting the regional economy.”

The 31 Tech Hubs were selected from 198 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners. The Tech Hubs span regions across 32 states and Puerto Rico and represent a cross section of urban and rural regions.

For a full list of Tech Hubs, visit 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.