Spokane Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center Tech Hub Launches With $48 Million Federal Grant
Spokane Tech Hub would boost WA State’s aviation manufacturing ecosystem with impacts felt all along the I-90 corridor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $48 million for the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center (AAMMC) in Spokane. This funding comes from the Tech Hubs Program, which Sen. Cantwell established in her landmark CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This investment follows the Senators’ successful efforts to secure up to $500 million for Tech Hubs in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“The country that figures out how to use advanced materials to increase manufacturing capacity and aircraft fuel efficiency is going to have a huge competitive advantage,” said Sen. Cantwell. “America is handing the baton to Spokane – establishing it as an innovation testbed for high-rate aerospace materials manufacturing. We’re betting on Spokane’s leadership and manufacturing base to solve the aviation challenges America faces. This important R&D mission will help ensure our nation’s future aerospace leadership.”
“This is great news for Spokane and all of Eastern Washington,” said Sen. Murray. “These new resources build on the hundreds of millions I fought hard to secure for Tech Hubs under tough funding constraints and this award is a testament to the cutting-edge research and incredible collaboration happening across Washington state. These investments are critical as we work to ensure Washington state continues to lead the way in aerospace innovation and jobs. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, fighting for the resources we need to help spur the already incredible work happening in our state will always be a top priority for me.”
“I was pleased to find common ground with Senator Cantwell on funding two Eastern Washington priorities before the end of last year - making sure Chinese Communist Party equipment is removed from rural cell networks and continuing important research at regional tech hubs. I am thrilled the AAMMC in Spokane will benefit from this bipartisan work with today’s announcement, enabling it to continue its vital aerospace research and testing so that America wins the future in the sky and space.” – Former Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
“We will benefit tremendously from the business expansion and good jobs that will result from this unprecedented federal investment. I’m grateful to Senators Murray and Cantwell and the Biden Administration for creating and funding this generational opportunity. The City of Spokane stands ready to work with our Tech Hub partners to put these dollars to work.” – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown
"Through the University of Washington's Advanced Composites Center's collaboration with the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center, we are pioneering the next generation of lightweight, sustainable aircraft materials that will revolutionize both commercial and defense aviation. Our research teams are tackling the complex manufacturing challenges that will define the future of flight. Together with our AAMMC partners, we are ensuring that Washington state remains a global leader in aerospace discovery and innovation." – University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce
“I am so pleased that the EDA has made this significant grant to the AAMMC. We have been confident from the beginning that the Spokane-North Idaho Tech Hub holds tremendous potential for the development of advanced technologies, manufacturing, and production that will help meet critical demand for aerospace components. I am very grateful for the support and advocacy of Senator Cantwell, who has been instrumental in creating this opportunity in the first place, and Senator Murray, who has fought to provide strong funding for the Tech Hub program as part of the annual appropriations process. We are committed to pursuing additional funding to support educational programs and workforce development that will be essential to the success of the Tech Hub.” – Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh
“This investment paves the way for Washington’s aerospace future and the thousands of workers who will benefit from it. Spokane’s Tech Hub positions our state at the forefront of sustainable aviation innovation, ensuring we remain a global leader in aerospace manufacturing. By advancing cutting-edge thermoplastics and advanced manufacturing, this initiative not only bolsters our economy but also creates remarkable opportunities for the next generation of machinists and aerospace workers. IAM District 751 is proud to partner with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) to build the infrastructure needed to train a skilled workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.” – IAM District 751 President Jon Holden.
The funding will establish the first-of-its-kind testbed facility in the United States focused on developing advanced thermoplastic materials - new types of lightweight, heat-moldable, and recyclable materials that can replace metal in aircraft parts. The AAMMC will serve as the nation's hub for creating and testing these innovative materials that are essential for more rapidly building fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft. The hub will focus on development of thermoplastic composite materials for large aerostructures in defense and commercial markets, which can make aircraft and spacecraft lighter and more fuel-efficient, while being rapidly produced and recyclable. As the global aviation industry projects demand for over 40,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years, this center will accelerate U.S. innovation in sustainable aviation by enabling manufacturers to test and validate new technologies before moving to full-scale production.
Nearly 50 Spokane-area organizations collaborated on the Tech Hub, including Gonzaga University, the International Association of Machinists District 751, and Advanced Thermoplastics Composites (ATC). The hub will provide hands-on workforce training through partnerships with the Machinists Institute, North Idaho College, and Community Colleges of Spokane, creating career pathways in advanced manufacturing. A full list of Spokane Tech Hub partners is available HERE.
In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the greater Spokane region as one of the 31 federally designated U.S. Tech Hubs out of more than 200 applicants. Shortly after the Spokane American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center was designated, both Senators Cantwell and Murray hailed the decision. Sen. Cantwell celebrated the announcement and spoke on the Senate floor on the importance of creating these regional hubs to develop ‘lab to market’ testbeds for advanced materials manufacturing in communities already excelling in workforce development, research, and innovation. The designation means that the federal government is betting on Washington state – on both sides of the Cascade Mountains – as the future of our nation’s aviation manufacturing and aerospace industry.
The Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program was established by the CHIPS & Science Law, with a mission to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country. By securing up to $500 million through the most recent funding, the Senators ensured that additional hubs, like Spokane, were able to receive Phase II implementation awards.
The official designation further confirmed that the Inland Northwest is a leading national ecosystem for aerospace suppliers, private investment, new products, and companies in the U.S. aerospace supply chain. A full list of all Spokane Tech Hub partners is available HERE.
The map below shows the number of aerospace suppliers along the I-90 corridor, with many key composite suppliers already located in the greater Spokane area.
Sen. Cantwell was the main architect and key negotiator of the CHIPS & Science Act. In her position as Commerce chair, she was instrumental in securing the science R&D funding authorizations in the 11th hour of negotiations. In April 2023, Sen. Cantwell invited NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan to Spokane, where he saw firsthand how Spokane organizations have collaborated to drive the region’s current and future potential as a leader in technology innovation. In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted the Washington State Space Summit, bringing together 20 space companies, industry groups, and educators from across the State of Washington for a trade show and panel discussion. Sen. Cantwell hosted an aerospace manufacturing showcase at Blue Origin in April 2024 to bring workforce development leaders, innovators, and industry representatives together to discuss what the designation means for Washington state.
Video of that discussion is available HERE and HERE; photos of the event are HERE.
As Assistant Majority leader in the 117th Congress, Senator Murray played a key role in securing passage of the CHIPS & Science Act and has held events across Washington state highlighting the many ways Washington state is benefitting from the new law. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray has secured $541 million for the Tech Hubs program since Fiscal Year 2023 and is working to secure an additional $100 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 bills she is currently negotiating. In the Fiscal Year 2024 funding bill Murray negotiated and passed into law, she secured $10.6 billion overall for science and technology programs to implement the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to help drive U.S. economic competitiveness. The Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill that Murray passed out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support, 26-3, would deliver $11.2 billion—$635 million more than Fiscal Year 2024—to fund the CHIPS & Science Act.
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