On Monday, the Biden-Harris administration announced the designation of 31 "Tech Hubs" across the United States, a move that is intended to spur technological innovations across a variety of categories, among other things. These hubs will play important roles in bolstering "American competitiveness," according to the White House, which says that each location will get up to $75 million in grants toward that mission.

A wide variety of entities and institutions have received the honor, including everything from local governments and tribal communities to labor unions and universities. The projects span many categories, including "semiconductors, clean energy, critical minerals, biotechnology, precision medicine, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and more," the administration states.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is playing a big role in this program, explaining that in addition to helping the nation remain competitive with other countries in the aforementioned categories, the tech hubs will also hopefully lead to job creation in the various regions where they are located. The initiative exists under the Investing in America agenda, specifically under the CHIPS and Science Act, according to the Commerce Department.

Nearly $500 million in grants are up for grabs

The number of tech hubs under each category varies — there are three related to various autonomous systems tech, for example, and six related to biotech as it applies to healthcare devices and pharmaceuticals. The hubs are spread throughout the U.S. and include the states of Montana, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia, New Hampshire, Missouri, Kansas, Maryland, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Louisiana, Idaho, Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Florida, Oregon, Texas, Maine, Washington, and Vermont. Puerto Rico is also home to one tech hub.

Multiple federal agencies will assist the hubs when applicable, including the USDA and the Transportation Department. Gina Raimondo, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, said, "Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future — and their good-paying jobs — start, grow, and remain in the United States." Of note, the program required each entity to apply in hopes of getting the designation, and the 31 were selected from a pool of around 400 applications. The total value of the grants that will go toward these tech hubs will approach $500 million.