The US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced $504 million in funding to scale up 12 sites that were designated as Tech Hubs by the Biden Administration.

The money will be used to expand research into artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, and clean energy.

Born out of the CHIPS and Science Act, 31 Tech Hubs were announced by the EDA in October 2023, with 11 designees and an additional 18 consortia receiving Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grants. Under the statute, $10 billion was assigned to the Tech Hubs program over a five-year period, with the department having spent $541m of the fund to date.

The Tech Hubs in recipient of this new round of funding include quantum computing company Elevate Quantum in Colorado ($41m); semiconductor manufacturer CenterState in New York ($40m); photonic sensor company Accelerate Montana in Montana ($41m); and secure autonomous systems researchers Tulsa Innovation Labs in Oklahoma ($51m).

“Through the Tech Hubs program, we are maintaining our competitive edge by advancing America’s leadership in commercializing critical emerging tech sectors. And we’re leveraging the diverse talent and resources that currently exist across the country to achieve this goal,” said US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to his investing in America agenda, these 12 Tech Hubs will play a critical role in accelerating America’s leadership in the industries of the future, all while creating high quality, family-sustaining 21st century jobs in people’s backyards.”

In a statement, the EDA said that it will invest in additional Tech Hubs should subsequent funding become available.

The $280bn CHIPS and Science Act was approved by Congress in July 2022, with $52bn of the overall funding package designated as subsidies for US semiconductor manufacturers. Funding from the act has also been earmarked for semiconductor R&D, growing a skilled semiconductor workforce, and incentives for the manufacturing of semiconductors and specialized tooling equipment.

In April, Raimondo said she expected all the grant money under the CHIPS Act to be allocated by the end of this year.