The deadline for Tulsa's technology partners to submit a massive grant application seeking millions of dollars in federal funding to position the area as a “technology hub” is fast approaching.
The federal government named Tulsa a “tech hub” in October. The designation enables up to $75 million in federal funding to local consortia working to establish the region as a world leader in advanced self-driving technology.
“Tulsa has the ingredients to be a globally competitive technology hub. Tulsa has the assets. We just need to get them out there,” said Tulsa Innovation Lab's CEO. Managing Director Jennifer Hankins said.
Hankins was named one of the Tulsa World's 2023 “People to Watch.”
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She made the comments last week during an update on the Tulsa Innovation Lab and other partners' efforts to secure federal funding.
The meeting at downtown Tulsa Community College was attended by dozens of people involved in technology innovation hubs, economic development and startup support.
Tulsa is one of 31 high-tech hubs selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration as part of a $500 million investment to strengthen the nation's economy and national security.
The Tulsa Hub for Fair and Trusted Autonomy (THETA) will focus on technologies such as unmanned aerial systems, drones, cybersecurity, and generative artificial intelligence.
Tulsa Innovation Lab and other local partners are leading the THETA initiative.
Tulsa is competing with other designated tech hub cities for federal funding. The grant deadline is Feb. 29, and principals could learn whether funding is approved by this summer, officials said.
U.S. Commerce Department officials will determine where the funds will go based on grant applications.
“We declared Tulsa the technology capital of Oklahoma and one of the leading technology centers in the country, but you know what? It’s gaining popularity. People support that vision,” said Ken Levitt, executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which led the effort to establish the Tulsa Innovation Lab.
“It's exciting, but it's also necessary. We recognize this concept to accelerate Tulsa's economic transformation,” he said at the meeting.
“It's valuable for those building this application to get your input,” he said.
“We're really competing at the highest level, and that's because the people running this process in Washington and the judges looking at this are feeling the spark in Tulsa,” he said. Ta.
“They see a dynamic collection of people. They see an ambitious group of people. We recognize a community that is dedicated to , and these values resonate very strongly with this effort.”
If federal funding is approved for the city of Tulsa, it could create an additional 55,000 relatively high-wage jobs and generate $1.4 billion in economic impact, officials said.
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