Nevada Tech Hub

Lead Agency: University of Nevada, Reno  

State Served: Nevada  

Applicant-Defined Region: Carson City and Reno MSAs  

Core Technology Area: lithium batteries and electric vehicle materials  

Contact: Richard Bartholet ([email protected])  

Media Contact: Michael Flores ([email protected])   

The Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop (Nevada Tech Hub), led by the University of Nevada, Reno, aims to build a self-sustaining and globally competitive full lithium lifecycle cluster, spanning extraction, processing, and manufacturing. With a foundation of rich sources of lithium and materials essential to electrification, the Nevada Tech Hub is working to align and coordinate its innovation and economic development activities with established companies, startups, education, and workforce development organizations to enable this region to become a global lithium leader.  

The Nevada Tech Hub seeks to position the Silver State as a strong node in the critical lithium supply chain and an ideal location for the nation’s future sustainable electrification storage industry.   

In July 2024, EDA awarded this Tech Hub grant funding of approximately $21 million to implement two projects, including:

• Working with community colleges, state agencies, industry, and labor unions to bolster the region’s reservoir of skilled workers; 
• Providing educational opportunities for students at the secondary and post-secondary levels; 
• Promoting awareness of STEM-related occupations across Nevada’s lithium economy, increasing retention of Native students in STEM-related fields, and creating guided pathways to family-sustaining jobs in the growing Hub workforce; 
• Supporting the administrative capacity and readiness of Nevada’s Native American and Indigenous communities to promote their ability to productively engage with industry; and 
• Creating and maintaining effective management and decision-making processes, advising on workforce development strategies, and facilitating connections to relevant experts and organizations. 

Press Releases

• Biden-Harris Administration’s Tech Hubs Program Awards Approximately $21 Million to Nevada Tech Hub to Strengthen the Region’s Capacity as a Global Leader in Lithium Batteries and Electric Vehicle Materials
• Biden-Harris Administration Designates Tech Hub in Carson City-Reno Region to Lead Innovation in Lithium Sector

Additional Designations Earned in Region