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, manufacturing, and recycling. 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 focus on becoming a global lithium leader. In doing so, this Tech Hub seeks to make Nevada a strong node in a critical supply chain, making the region’s battery economy more resilient and competitive.
The Nevada Tech Hub seeks to position the Silver State as an ideal location for the nation’s future electrification storage industry, while ensuring a sustainable future the United States’ electrification and energy storage needs.
The consortium’s proposal includes plans to:
- Work with community colleges, state agencies, industry, and labor unions to bolster the region’s reservoir of skilled workers;
- Support research and development of materials and technologies related to lithium batteries and other electric vehicle (EV) materials in a single campus;
- Connect researchers, entrepreneurs, and funders through an Open Innovation Marketplace;
- Pursue a favorable policy and regulatory framework for lithium battery and other EV materials development in Nevada; and
- Create and maintain effective and equitable governance structures and processes, advising on workforce development strategies, and facilitating connections to relevant experts and organizations.
To ensure that the impacts of the Tech Hub benefit the entire region, the consortium is committed to developing equitable workforce training and recruitment strategies, including working with the University of Nevada Reno’s Office of Indigenous Relations on a Nevada Native Nations Center initiative to support the participation of Native and Indigenous peoples in key decisions.
This summary is based on information submitted by the applicants. If selected for funding, the final EDA-approved scope of work may differ.
Designee Narrative (PDF)
Additional Designations Earned in Region
