Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Friday the Trump administration will revisit and relaunch the Tech Hubs Program. This unwinds decisions by the prior administration, which named six Tech Hubs this January, despite “no funds being available at the time,” Lutnick said in his announcement.
Lutnick said the prior process “was rushed, opaque, and unfair…administration officials did not make prospective applicants aware of the competition and chose awardees using outdated applications submitted nearly a year earlier. A rushed process using outdated information is no way to invest taxpayer funds,” he emphasized.
Commerce previously awarded $500 million, to be funded through future FCC spectrum auctions. A January recipient was the University of Vermont, which was awarded $23 million for semiconductor designs.
The Commerce Department is revamping the Tech Hubs program to prioritize national security, project quality, benefit to the taxpayer, and a fair process, according to Lutnick. Commerce will release a new notice of funding opportunity this summer with the goal of announcing selections in early 2026.
“To be clear, this decision is not an indictment of the work that the previously selected Tech Hubs are doing. They can compete for funding alongside all other prospective applicants,” Lutnick explained.
“This decision is about fairness and making prudent choices with hard earned taxpayer dollars. The process will be transparent, fair, and ensure that the American taxpayers are investing in the best technological advancements to bolster the growth of critical industries in the United States,” he pledged.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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