Deputy Assistant Secretary Cristina Killingsworth visited the Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub in Oregon and Washington, a move announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, overseen by Oregon State University, was designated a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) by the Biden-Harris Administration in October 2023.
The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub is striving to be a worldwide front-runner in mass timber design, manufacturing, and construction, with goals of reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry and enhancing housing affordability. The Tech Hubs program leadership is planned to reinforce the Hub’s strategy to meet immediate and future demands while promoting a technology sector vital to U.S. national security.
The Tech Hubs Program, a major initiative, aims to foster U.S. leadership in vital technologies and industries. The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub’s designation emphasizes the region’s plan to significantly enhance its critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader in timber over the next decade. This initiative is expected to boost U.S. national security and global competitiveness.
“The 31 Tech Hubs Designees embody place-based economic development strategies at their best, combining federal resources with regional assets, expertise, and coalitions to implement transformational opportunities,” stated Deputy Assistant Secretary Cristina Killingsworth. She expressed excitement over the potential of the Hub to bolster America’s competitiveness and secure the future industries and jobs within the Oregon and Washington region.
The Tech Hubs Program, authorized to receive $10 billion via the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, aims to accelerate the capacity and speed of innovation and deployment of advanced technologies across America, fostering the growth of new companies and the creation of good jobs.
