EDA ROADMAP Summit highlights:
On December 3rd – 4th the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) hosted the ROADMAP Summit in Washington D.C. This was the first ever national convening on place-based innovation, economic development and U.S. technical competitiveness. There were 585 people attending the summit including technology and innovation leaders, industry and government officials, current and former elected officials, capital providers, journalists and other stakeholders.
This Summit gave an opportunity for teams leading the historic places-based innovation investments supported by the federal government to gather and discuss how to boost U.S. competitiveness in science and technology, including by catalyzing breakthroughs and creating new pathways for all Americans to access good-quality, high wage jobs.
The key themes included:
Bolstering innovation ecosystem (tied to national security and U.S. competitiveness)
Catalyzing innovation everywhere
Workforce development
There is optimism for continuation of the CHIPS Act investments as it received bi-partisan support, however regions are looking at various sources of funding at the state and local levels. National and local philanthropy as potential and ongoing partners in sustaining and funding strategies. There were 22 workshops conducted to encourage valuable discussions such as examples of Tech Hubs working with the Department of Defense, Biotechnology, and Semiconductor companies. Especially popular were the workshops that focused on venture capital and entrepreneurial initiatives fueled by NSF Engines and EDA Tech Hubs.
EDA Tech Hubs Programs Roundtable Discussion:
On December 12th members from the Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier (MDM2) had the opportunity to meet with Eric Smith, Tech Hubs Program Director at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Alex Jones, Program Lead for EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. During this meeting we provided an update on our strategy and implementation plan being conducted by SRI. The update highlighted the current state of the regional ecosystem, goals and objectives in relation to our five component projects.
A key focus of the discussion was workforce development and the critical need to advance this initiative. We explored workforce opportunities and the importance of driving these efforts forward. With overlapping skills within the medical device sector and automation, there is potential to leverage support from both institutions and industries like the MCCCD quick-start certification programs. By promoting these opportunities, we can raise industry awareness and further accelerate workforce development.
Additionally, we also discussed the $500M funding allocation that will be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the potential for additional funding opportunities. As the final decision is still pending, we emphasized to Eric and Alex the crucial role a Tech Hub designation would play for the Greater Phoenix Area and our readiness to capitalize on this opportunity, highlighting the region’s robust network of institutions, industry partners, and workforce.