A federally designated tech hub in Missouri — which includes Texas County — is set to receive millions in funding.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration announced Tuesday, Jan. 14, it will give out approximately $210 million in grant funding, ranging from $22 million to $48 million, to six designated tech hubs as part of new funding from Congress.
The six hubs selected — include the critical mineral processing center in south-central Missouri — were among the 31 tech hubs designated in October 2023. That’s when President Joe Biden introduced the federal fundi to scale up the production of critical technologies. The program may face an uncertain future with a new administration, but for now it remains a priority, officials said.
The Missouri hub selected – the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub – will receive an estimated $29 million in funding. Led by the University of Missouri System through its Missouri University of Science and Technology campus in Rolla, it aims to position south-central Missouri as a global leader in critical minerals processing to support battery technology.