Biden Administration Selects KC Region Tech Hub To Drive Innovation In Biomanufacturing

Posted October 25, 2023

The Biden-Harris administration announced the Kansas City region as one of the 31 technology hubs in the U.S. that show potential for rapid growth in key technology sectors.

The Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (KC BioHub), a consortium led by BioNexus KC, will increase domestic production of life-saving vaccines and other preventative technologies by strengthening innovation in animal and human vaccine development, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will empower the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs Program is fundamental to that mission and will supercharge innovation across the nation by spurring cutting-edge technological investments and creating 21st-century job opportunities in people’s backyards,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the release. “Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future—and their good-paying jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States.”

Designated Tech Hubs can apply for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program which will invest between $50-$75 million.

“Thanks to this designation, BioNexus KC and organizations throughout the region will have an opportunity to receive up to $75 million in federal funding, attract additional philanthropic and private investment, and expand the development of cutting-edge medicines and life-saving vaccines,” Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II said in a statement released Monday.

The 31 Tech Hubs were selected from 198 applications and span from 32 states and Puerto Rico.

View the full release from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, here.