Why it matters that Northern Nevada is a federally designated 'Tech Hub'
The Biden administration named Reno one of its 31 Tech Hubs last week, making the city eligible for federal investment amid Northern Nevada’s transformation into the nucleus of the lithium battery supply chain.
The Tech Hubs program was created by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, a bill boosting U.S. investment in semiconductor manufacturing, a globally competitive industry. Designated Tech Hubs, selected based on the presence of key industries and geographic diversity, will receive extra support and resources from the Economic Development Administration and will be eligible for $10 billion in grants over the next five years.
Reno was selected from among 370 applicants under the banner of “strengthening our critical minerals supply chain,” one of just two designees in that category along with south-central Missouri. The application was led by UNR and outlined plans to continue building a self-sustaining lithium battery life cycle industry, from manufacturing to recycling.
The Reno-Sparks area has become a major beneficiary of Biden’s industrial and climate policies — lithium batteries are used in electric vehicles, the production and sales of which were incentivized in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Northern Nevada is the largest source of lithium in North America and home to several companies that mine, process and recycle lithium batteries.
The designation was met with praise from Nevada’s senators, who both voted for the CHIPS and Science Act, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and UNR president Brian Sandoval.
Dick Bartholet, UNR’s regional innovation officer for the Tech Hub, said the federal program’s goal is to spur not just research and development, but also to provide wraparound services that the industry’s growth will necessitate.
“A lot of the industry involves rural Nevada,” Bartholet said in an interview. “(So) you have to have housing. You have to have infrastructure, education, health care and so forth.”
He said UNR’s consortium, which came together to apply for the program, includes the regional development authority, local Native American tribes, labor unions and nearby colleges. While the Tech Hub is headquartered in Reno, the application included all of Nevada outside Clark County, making projects throughout the state eligible for funding.
Now, the consortium is working on its application for the second phase of funding. The EDA will select five to 10 Tech Hubs for implementation funds, with a total of $40 million to $70 million per hub for between three and eight projects. That application is due at the end of February.
— This story is used with permission of The Nevada Independent. Go here for updates to this and other Nevada Independent stories.