ALLENTOWN, P.A. – Congresswoman Susan Wild applauds the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) designation application filed today by a cross-sector consortium of partners across the Lehigh Valley, reaffirming her push to bring this investment in American technology and innovation to PA-07.

Led by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), the consortium comprised of technology industry, government, education, economic development, workforce and labor, and community partners submitted their application to be designated as a Tech Hub ahead of today’s Phase 1 deadline of the program.

Rep. Wild sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce Economic Development Administration in support of designating the Lehigh Valley as a Tech Hub.

“I’m very proud to be working with partners from across our community to advance this Tech Hub application, because I believe there’s no better place for a Tech Hub than the Greater Lehigh Valley,” said Congresswoman Susan Wild. “From our strong local economy and manufacturing and technology sectors, to the collaboration among our academic, workforce development, and business and non-profit communities, we are uniquely situated to host a Tech Hub and further drive American innovation and job growth. I will continue advocating every step of the way to deliver this monumental investment for our region’s economic and technological sector.”

“The history of the Lehigh Valley is very rich but one aspect that few realize is the role this region has played in the birth and development of the technology and semiconductor industry,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of LVEDC. “We were the first Silicon Valley and still have many of the country’s leading technology firms – and some great new ones – thriving here,” Cunningham said. “Companies in the Lehigh Valley touch nearly every element of semiconductor development. The Lehigh Valley is part of the nation’s semiconductor history and its present. With this federal government designation, the Lehigh Valley will help the U.S. to once again lead the world in all aspects of technology.”

The Lehigh Valley Consortium’s Tech Hub Application

When the first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was released for the Tech Hubs program in early May 2023, Rep. Wild emphasized her commitment to work closely with regional partners in advocating for the Lehigh Valley region’s designation as a Tech Hub. And leading up to today’s application submission by the Lehigh Valley consortium, Rep. Wild wrote a letter of support for the application and closely collaborated with LVEDC and partners across industry, government, education, economic development, and workforce in the region to develop the case for why the Lehigh Valley is a uniquely strong candidate for a Tech Hub.

31 letters of support were sent from partners supporting the application:

• Industry: Intel, Ideal Semi, Coherent, Infinera, Broadcom, Olympus, Evonik, EMD Electronics
• Government: Congresswoman Susan Wild, Senator Bob Casey, Senator John Fetterman, Pennsylvania DCED Secretary Rick Siger, Pennsylvania State Senator Lisa Boscola, Pennsylvania State Senator Nick Miller, State Representative Mike Schlossberg, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Upper Macungie Township
• Education: Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), Northampton Community College (NCC), Penn State Lehigh Valley
• Economic Development: Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), Ben Frankling Technology Partners, Manufacturers’ Resource Center
• Workforce and Labor: Workforce Board Lehigh Valley, IBEW Local Union 375
• Other Community Organizations: Allentown School District, Da Vinci Science Center, The Literacy Center, Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA)

Rep. Wild’s Work to Establish the Tech Hubs Program

The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), was created by Rep. Wild’s Regional Innovation Act. Initially introduced in 2021 and passed into law through the CHIPS and Science Act, this bipartisan legislation authorizes the designation of 20+ Tech Hubs across the country designed to foster American technological development and innovation.

• In December 2022, Rep. Wild wrote President Biden urging the Administration to select the Greater Lehigh Valley as the site for a Tech Hub.
• In April 2023, Rep. Wild called for full funding for the newly established EDA Tech Hub program in Fiscal Year 2024.
• Now, Rep. Wild is working in collaboration with consortium partners to advocate for a Tech Hub in PA-07.

The Lehigh Valley has a rich history of advanced manufacturing and semiconductor production that the region is perfectly positioned to build upon. Following the invention of the transistor in 1951, the region served as a global center for design, development, and production of transistors and semiconductors – and today, still hosts a thriving ecosystem of advanced manufacturing and technology industry.

Already home to numerous semiconductor technology sector companies, the Lehigh Valley is a prime location for companies of all sizes in the sector to grow their footprint and strengthen supply chains. Thanks to its academic institutions, workforce development programs, strong economic development and non-profit organizations—and the integration and collaboration already present between these entities—as well as its prime location on the Eastern seaboard, the Lehigh Valley is uniquely situated for a Tech Hub to drive American innovation and technological production, grow domestic manufacturing, and bring good careers home.

A Fact Sheet on the Tech Hubs program can be found HERE, and more information from the Department of Commerce about Tech Hub application phases and eligibility can be found HERE.

 

Informtaion provided to TVL by:
Katie Smith