Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Drive Optics and Metrology Technologies in the Carolinas
As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Commerce leverages Tech Hubs Program to spur regional innovation and job creation.
WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology (CICOM) Strategy Development Consortium in Charlotte, North Carolina, was awarded a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant to develop a roadmap to apply optics and metrology technologies to create a sustainable manufacturing framework.
The Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology (CICOM) Strategy Development Consortium, led by University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 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.
“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.”
“As a strong supporter of the CHIPS and Science Act, I am proud that the Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology sStrategy Development Consortium was chosen for a Strategy Development Grant through the Tech Hubs Program,” said North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis. “Innovative industries are a key part of North Carolina’s economic success, and this investment into CICOM will ensure North Carolina remains on the cutting edge of our global innovation economy.”
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.