Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Strengthen Cybersecurity and Secure Manufacturing in San Antonio, Texas Region
WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium in San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant to strengthen cybersecurity and secure manufacturing technologies.
The Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium, led by the University of Texas at San Antonio, will leverage the grant to increase local coordination and planning activities to strengthen its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technologies critical to U.S. economic and national security. The Tech Hubs Program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, is investing in U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. This consortium was selected for a grant from a competitive pool of 181 applications.
The consortium will develop a regional coalition and innovation roadmap to mature cybersecurity and secure manufacturing technologies in the San Antonio-New Braunfels region.
“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.”
“Thank you to the Economic Development Administration for this investment in San Antonio that will create good-paying jobs and economic opportunities for hardworking Texans,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “This funding will help keep Texas a national leader in developing innovative technologies critical to America's economic and national security interests.
“With the biggest pool of certified cybersecurity experts outside of Washington D.C. and a rich tradition of manufacturing and entrepreneurship, San Antonio is ready to become a global center of innovation,” said Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20). “Through UTSA’s leadership, the Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium will use this grant to create good-paying jobs in South Texas and kickstart a new era of American manufacturing excellence. I was proud to serve on the conference committee that moved the CHIPS and Science Act through Congress and I’m excited to see San Antonio’s manufacturing and cybersecurity sectors grow with help from this new grant.”
“The impact of the Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant cannot be overstated. The Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium will help transform South Texas into a new cybersecurity and technology manufacturing hub within the United States,” said Representative Henry Cuellar (TX-28). “I helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen American manufacturing capabilities in the industries of tomorrow. We’re seeing the results of that today right here in South Texas. Thank you to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Economic Development Administration Assistant Secretary Alejandra Y. Castillo, and University of Texas at San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy for working with me to deliver this federal investment for San Antonio.”
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.