MSU News Service: A regional technology hub focused on photonics and smart sensors, of which Montana State University is a founding member, will receive a $41 million federal grant to help create tech jobs across Montana.
The grant to Montana’s Headwaters Regional Technology and Innovation Hub comes from the Economic Development Administration, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It’s one of 12 grants totaling $504 million awarded to tech hubs across the country.
In October, the EDA named Montana a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub. It was one of 31 such designations across the nation and aims to promote growth by strengthening the region’s capacity to build, commercialize and deploy critical technologies.
As part of the designation, MSU joined a statewide consortium of companies; state, local and tribal governments; regional economic development organizations; and other academic institutions to develop the Headwaters Tech Hub. The hub’s goals are to accelerate the timeline from product introduction to market adoption, foster businesses that can compete and thrive in the global market, and help prepare Montanans to enter the region’s expanding tech workforce.
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