The Headwaters Tech Hub – Smart Photonic Sensing
Biden-Harris Administration Designates 31 Tech Hubs Across America
As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Commerce identified regional centers primed for technological innovation and job creation.
The Montana Chamber of Commerce led the competitive Tech Hub effort on behalf of our members, Envision 2026 investors, and strategic partners. Together with the Montana Department of Commerce and Montana University System, we are pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Economic Development Administration have Designated the Headwaters Technology Hub as a rural Regional Technology and Innovation Hub, one of 31 total national designations along with a Strategic Planning Grant to apply for the Tech Hubs Phase 2.
In Phase 2, EDA will award implementation grants to 5-10 Designated Tech Hubs, with each of those Hubs receiving approximately $40-$70 million across approximately 3-8 projects. For more information about Phase 2, visit the updated Frequently Asked Questions page. To read the Phase 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), click here.
The key focus for the distributed Headwaters Tech Hub is to rapidly scale the commercialization and industry applications of smart photonic sensing systems that can be deployed in autonomous systems and applied to national security, resources, and disaster prevention applications.
We expect a profound impact that strengthens our national defense, secures our supply chains, economic competitiveness, and in our Headwaters region, manages our critical resources, spanning water, agriculture lands, and critical minerals, industrial equipment and processes, and our infrastructure.
Steering Committee Members:
Lead for Industry
Todd O’Hair, Montana Chamber of Commerce
Lead for State Government
Scott Osterman, Montana Department of Commerce
Lead for Universities
Clay Christian, Montana Office of Commissioner of Higher Education
Joe Thiel, Committee Chair (Proxy)
Jeff Batton, HomeStake Venture Partners
Paul Gladen, AccelerateMT
Chairman Gerald Gray, MT State Tribal Economic Development Commission
Grant Kier, Missoula Economic Partnership
Misty Kuhl, Montana Office of Indian Affairs
Joe Shaw, Optical Technology Center, Montana State University
Scott Whittenburg, University of Montana
Jason Yager, Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance
Press Releases:
Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs)
The Tech Hubs Program will invest directly in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to transform into globally competitive innovation centers in approximately 10 years, while catalyzing the creation of good jobs for American workers at all skill levels, equitably and inclusively.
The Tech Hubs Program was enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program). The statute authorized $10 billion for the program over five years. As part of the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress appropriated EDA $500 million to launch the program. This program invests in U.S. regions that are focused on technologies within or across the key technology focus areas outlined in the statute.
For Montana Chamber Members, Envision 2026 Investors and industry partners, please complete the form below. Click here for general information, facts sheet and media contacts representing the Headwaters Consortium
