https://www.wdiy.org/wdiy-headlines/2023-08-17/lvedc-regional-coalition-pursuing-tech-hub-designation-for-the-lehigh-valley-wdiy-local-news

The Lehigh Valley’s economic development agency is calling for the region to be designated as a Tech Hub.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. announced Tuesday that has filed a Tech Hub application on behalf of a regional coalition of partners.

The group includes tech companies, colleges and universities, state and local government officials, industry and community partners.

Formally known as Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs, Tech Hubs were created by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to boost innovation and funding for technologies deemed important to economic and national security, like artificial intelligence, data storage, biotechnology, or robotics.

20 such hubs will be designated across the United States by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The LVEDC said at least three Tech Hubs will be selected in each of the six EDA regions. The Lehigh Valley is in the Philadelphia EDA region, which covers the East Coast from Maine to Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In a release, the LVEDC said the Lehigh Valley is seeking to be designated as a Tech Hub for semiconductors, specifically where production overlaps with advanced manufacturing and advanced material sciences.

The organization also said the designation could qualify the region for $50-$75 million in CHIPS Act funding to grow the industry so it can contribute to a secure domestic supply of components.

In a statement, LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham cited the Lehigh Valley’s history of innovation, from the first mass production of transistors in Allentown in 1951, to the array of semiconductor technology firms currently operating in the area.

“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 semiconductor industry,” Cunningham said.

“We were the first Silicon Valley and still have many of the country’s leading technology firms – and some great new ones – thriving here.”

These companies include AAYUNA, Broadcom, Cisco, Coherent, Infinera, iDEAL Semiconductor, Intel, and POET Technologies, and together employ around 1,500 people.

These firms are supported by a number of Lehigh Valley companies that supply components and raw materials including Air Products, Evonik, EMD Electronics, and LBN.

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