Headwaters Hub

Lead Agency: Accelerate Montana  

State Served: Montana  

Applicant-Defined Region: Missoula and Bozeman MSAs, Kalispell and Butte–Silver Bow μSAs  

Core Technology Area: smart photonic sensor systems  

Contact: Dr. Tim VanReken ([email protected]) 

Organizational Link: https://headwaterstechhub.com/

The Headwaters Hub, led by Accelerate Montana, aims to become a global leader in smart, autonomous, photonic remote sensing technologies. This Tech Hub will leverage regional assets—including a concentration of photonics companies and the diverse geographic landscape of western Montana—to integrate remote sensing systems with advances in embedded processors with built-in artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. In doing so, the consortium seeks to develop and deploy smart photonic sensing systems coupled with autonomous systems to address critical defense, resource management, and disaster prevention needs.  

The Headwaters Hub will help overcome barriers to the advancement and broad adoption of autonomous technologies in critical use areas that are vital to U.S. economic and national security.   

In July 2024, EDA awarded this Tech Hub grant funding of approximately $41 million to implement five projects, including: 

• Supporting final-stage testing of technologies by creating environmentally specific testbeds in rugged terrain, precision agriculture, and roadway settings;
• Building the region’s photonics sector by increasing career opportunities in related fields, utilizing skills-based approaches to train and place workers, and extending on-ramps to Native and rural students across educational levels to access careers in the smart-sensing industry; and
• Expanding infrastructure to design, build, and test micro-integrated photonic devices and systems to expand market opportunities, and bring together commercialization partners to guide this work.

To ensure that the impacts of these projects benefit the entire region, components of the strategy are led by Tribal and two-year colleges, and activities include providing robust wrap-around services for workforce development participants. 

Strategy Development Grant Amount: $449,290  

Press Releases

• Biden-Harris Administration’s Tech Hubs Program Awards Approximately $41 Million to Headwaters Hub in Montana to Strengthen the Region’s Capacity as a Global Leader in Autonomous Systems Technology
• Biden-Harris Administration Designates Tech Hub in Western Montana to Drive Innovation in Smart Photonic Sensors

Additional Designations Earned in Region