Biden-Harris Administration’s Tech Hubs Program Awards Approximately $51 Million to Heartland BioWorks in Indiana to Strengthen the Region’s Capacity as a Global Leader in Biomanufacturing
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 $51 million to Heartland BioWorks, a consortium led Applied Research Institute in Indiana, to implement four 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, Heartland BioWorks 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, Heartland BioWorks 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, Heartland BioWorks will leverage this award to support projects that are:
- Attracting and connecting workers, including those historically excluded from the innovation workforce, to good jobs;
- Establishing a formal network to provide navigation resources, mentorship, and greater access to facilities and venture capital funding to help innovators successfully scale and launch their bioproducts in the region;
- Constructing BioWorks HQ, a training and demonstration facility for trainees to enter the workforce and for current employees to upskill;
- Implementing a grant program to help early-stage innovators surmount cost barriers to accessing these product development facilities, keeping biotech inventions and supply in the U.S.; and
- Developing training pathways, leveraging curricula from Indiana’s higher education institutions and other globally recognized training programs to prepare participants for high-quality jobs in biomanufacturing operator and lab technician roles once the BioWorks HQ is constructed.
The final grant amount will be finalized in the coming months.
Heartland BioWorks aims to transform Central Indiana into a global leader in biotechnology and biomanufacturing by increasing the region’s capacity to make and deploy life-saving medicines. Leveraging the region’s research institutions, venture ecosystem, logistics infrastructure, and established pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing presence, this Tech Hub will catalyze regional biotech innovation. Heartland BioWorks seeks to strengthen the nation’s biotechnology supply chain and facilitate the rapid discovery, development, commercialization, and deployment of next generation bioproducts in human, animal, and plant biosciences. (Click here to learn more about Heartland BioWorks)
“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.”
“Indiana’s new Tech Hub designation has opened our state up to a next level of opportunities,” said Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “Now that we have been awarded nearly $51 million to support the implementation, it’s full steam ahead in workforce development and building the specific talent pipelines to support the exact type of innovative business growth and entrepreneurship we want.”
“When I worked to enact the CHIPS and Science Act two years ago, I knew Indiana was well-positioned to seize on the law’s historic opportunities to lead our country on technology areas important to global competitiveness,” said Indiana Senator Todd Young. “That potential continues to become a reality for Hoosiers. Today Heartland BioWorks was one of only 12 Tech Hubs across the country to receive a funding award. From leveraging existing resources and expertise in Indiana on life sciences and manufacturing to constructing a new headquarters for workforce training to helping early stage innovative companies bridge the ‘valley of death’, Heartland BioWorks is going to solidify Indiana’s place on the global map as the preeminent location for biotech innovation and manufacturing.”
“Our work over the past four years is paying off – this time, in a $51 million investment to transform my home state into a biotech hub. I voted for the CHIPS and Science Act and President Biden signed it into law in 2022, and it’s already making an impact,” said Representative André Carson (IN-07). “I encouraged EDA to recognize our hard work in Indiana with this transformational federal investment, which will translate into new, good-paying jobs, the capacity to produce lifesaving medications, and ushers in a new economic identify for our city and state. The CHIPS and Science Act is addressing all corners of our country, including underserved urban communities, and represents the work we’ve been doing over the last four years: investing in jobs, a stronger economy, and a brighter future.”
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.