U.S. Department of Commerce Under Secretary for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo visited Miami on Tuesday to announce $19 million in funding for the Tech Hub Program authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act.
The South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub is one of 12 hubs across the country and is a consortium led by the Miami-Dade County Innovation and Economic Development Authority. The South Florida Tech Hub aims to advance the region's global leadership in sustainable and resilient infrastructure while expanding the production and delivery of critical technologies that strengthen America's clean energy transition and national security.
“Innovative research that produces cutting-edge technologies to solve some of our most pressing problems is why FIU is at the center of a major infrastructure push with the South Florida Climate Resilience Technology Hub,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessel. “Together with our consortium of partners across South Florida, FIU is committed to advancing sustainable and resilient infrastructure innovation by developing, commercializing and scaling technologies focused on climate adaptation and mitigation.”
Of the $19 million provided to the South Florida ClimateReady Technology Hub, $10 million will be provided to FIU and will be used for the following projects:
- Technology development and maturity. Accelerate and expand adoption of cement technologies such as those developed by Titan America, FIU’s Ultra High Performance Concrete, and CaptureCrete developed by Carbon Limit, all of which aim to ensure durability, reduce concrete emissions, and in some cases turn concrete into a carbon-absorbing sponge.
- Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Innovation Center. Over the next five years, the partners will provide services and mentoring to at least 60 infrastructure innovation start-ups and SMEs. Companies will have access to R&D facilities, manufacturing space, adoption opportunities, production facilities, technology testing and validation, and academic and industry experts. Additional support provided will include market segmentation and access to capital.
- Industry codes and standards. The consortium's agencies will provide expertise and information on improving building codes and standards, work on policies to incorporate new materials and technologies, and provide guidance to regulators on which standards to enforce and recommendations to streamline the approval process.
Leadership for this resilient infrastructure initiative at FIU is provided by the Innovative Bridge Technologies University Transportation Center, StartUp FIU, and the FIU Extreme Events Institute's Wall of Wind.
FIU will also help support the workforce development component of the $6 million funded ClimateReady Tech Hub. This effort will be led by Miami Tech Works at my Miami Dade College, with participation from Florida Memorial University and the local CareerSource office, to leverage existing community partnerships between employers, educational institutions and community-based organizations to increase access to training and job opportunities for the region's diverse communities.
Other partners include Titan America, University of Miami and the Knight Foundation.
In October 2023, the South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub was selected as one of 31 designated technology hubs across the nation as part of Phase 1 of the New Tech Hubs program, a flagship initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries. The designation is a strong endorsement of the consortium's regional plan to strengthen its respective critical technology ecosystems and become global leaders over the next decade.
This funding follows FIU’s recent announcement as one of four outstanding research universities in the Florida State University System, as well as recent investments from the Department of Commerce announced by FIU and Florida’s congressional delegation, including $9 million to launch the Autonomous Systems Laboratory for Coastal Protection and $4.05 million to support storm research, both supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
For images from the FIU project and Tuesday's announcement, click here
