Florida Counties Designated as 'Tech Hub' Through Federal Program

Under a recently launched economic development initiative from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, four South Florida counties, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach, have been designated climate resilience tech hubs.

In general, the initiative aims to “drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness,” according to a press release from the department.

The tech hub program was created through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act after President Joe Biden signed it into law in August 2022.

Now 32 states and Puerto Rico will focus on “super-charging” their technological industries to create jobs.

So how does this impact South Florida?

Miami-Dade County's innovation and economic development office has been tasked with overseeing the climate resilience tech hub.

According to the program website, the tech hubs “aim to advance global leadership in sustainable and resilient infrastructure (SRI) solutions for the global climate crisis.”

More specifically, the South Florida hub will build off the region’s resources such as coastal and marine infrastructure, clean cement and energy-efficient building industries and academic institutions to jump-start SRI innovation through technologies focused on climate adaptation and mitigation.

“These outstanding Tech Hubs designees exemplify place-based economic development strategies at their best: combining federal resources with regional assets, expertise and coalitions to implement transformational opportunities," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo in a press release. “As each region develops its own strategy to catalyze innovation and job creation, the entire nation grows more secure and more competitive.”

More information about South Florida’s new tech hubs can be found online.