Federal Announcements

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a market expansion of SelectTalentUSA, a joint initiative across the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Education providing technical assistance to foreign businesses to deliver recruitment and training programs for their U.S. workforce.

The U.S. Department of Energy released new Supply Chain Cybersecurity Principles, developed in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory. The principles establish best practices for cybersecurity throughout the supply chain that supports energy infrastructure.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the Department of Commerce and Rocket Lab, the parent company of space power provider SolAero Technologies Corp., have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms to provide up to $23.9M in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act.

Dr. Laurie Locascio, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director, visited New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) client Theta Plate Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 30, 2024. Theta Plate, a third-generation family-owned metal-plating business started in 1976, performs military standard and decorative electroplating of metals ranging from platinum to tin. The company is active in several niche markets, including jewelry and trumpet mouthpiece

June 1, 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network (SCOIN), a two-year pilot program to kick-start supply chain efforts across the country. Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, NIST MEP awarded a total of $20 million for SCOIN to MEP Centers in each state and Puerto Rico.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Absolics, an affiliate of the Korea-based SKC, have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms to provide up to $75 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to help advance U.S. technology leadership.

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new partnership with Micron Technology, Inc., and GlobalFoundries to increase access to equitable education and develop the next generation of a diverse, semiconductor-ready science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to strengthen American solar manufacturing and protect businesses and workers from China’s unfair trade actions.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $71 million investment, including $16 million from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in research, development, and demonstration projects to grow the network of domestic manufacturers across the U.S. solar energy supply chain.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded more than $1.2 million to 12 small businesses in eight states under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The awards will fund research and development of new products relating to cybersecurity, quantum computing, health care, semiconductor manufacturing and other critical areas.