Montana officials giddy over state’s selection as ‘tech hub’

The details about actual long-term economic benefits that may come to pass are a bit vague, but the top elected officials in Montana are touting Monday’s announcement that the state has been selected as a “regional tech hub” by the federal Economic Development Administration.

Federal officials say that what will be known as the Headwaters Hub will make Montana eligible to compete for a share of $500 million worth of federal funds in order to become a “global leader in smart, autonomous, photonic remote sensing technologies.”

Bozeman and Montana State University appear poised to have a jumpstart on qualifying for the funding, as there are several photonics companies in that area. However, the tech hub will be led by Accelerate Montana, which is based on the University of Montana campus in Missoula.

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U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, second from right, listens to University of Montana President Seth Bodnar during a roundtable discussion in February 2023 with higher education and technology leaders on how Montana could secure funding through the federal CHIPS and Science Act to become

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