Tester Delivers Major $41 Million Investment for Montana’s Headwaters Tech Hub

With backing from Tester, Montana’s Headwaters Tech Hub selected as one of only 12 Tech Hubs nationwide to receive Phase 2 investment;

Funding comes from Senator’s CHIPS and Science Act, cements Montana’s leading role in helping America stay ahead of countries like China

Following his successful push to bring a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub to Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that he has secured a major $41 million investment for the Headwaters Tech Hub that cements Montana’s leading role in helping America stay ahead of countries like China.

Tester led the charge to bring a Regional Tech Hub to Montana after securing a provision in his bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to ensure the program includes rural states and he specifically called on the Biden Administration in February to award this implementation funding to the Headwaters Tech Hub.

“Montana is a big state that can do big things, and we’ve proven that we have what it takes to lead the nation in technological innovation that will ensure America can continue to outcompete countries like China,” said Tester. “That’s exactly why I fought to secure this major $41 million investment for the Headwaters Tech Hub, and it’s why I’ve served as a leading voice in the Senate advocating for the untapped potential of rural America. Bringing good-paying jobs back to the United States, securing our domestic supply chains, and developing next generation technology starts with investments right here in the Treasure State, and I will continue to partner with the Headwaters team to make sure they have the resources they need to succeed.”

“Senator Tester has been a critical partner working to ensure that the Headwaters Hub has the resources we need to become a global leader in smart, autonomous, photonic remote sensing technologies,” said Headwaters Executive Director Dr. Tim VanReken. “We agree with Senator Tester that there is an enormous amount of untapped potential in rural America, and we are grateful for his years-long work that made this transformative award possible.”  

“The Headwaters Tech Hub is a big win for UM, Montana, and this entire region of the country,” said UM President Seth Bodnar. “This is a catalyst for what will be a truly transformative impact for our state and region through the advancement of photonic smart sensors for application in natural resource management and autonomous systems. Thank you to Senator Tester for leading success in this effort.” 

This $41 million implementation grant secured by Tester will fuel the Headwaters Tech Hub’s efforts to expand Montana’s existing strength in smart optical sensing technologies to address pressing priorities such as autonomous systems, national defense, precision agriculture, and critical resource management.

Tester led the charge to bring a Regional Tech Hub to Montana after specifically securing a provision in his bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to ensure the program includes rural states. Tester’s successful push to secure a Regional Tech Hub in Montana has opened the door for Montana to lead the nation in critical tech development, bring millions of dollars in federal and private-sector investment, and help America outcompete countries like China.

In February, Tester sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the Administration to select Montana’s Headwaters Tech Hub for a Phase 2 implementation grant. Last August, Tester urged the United States Department of Commerce to strongly consider the Montana-based “Headwaters Tech Hub” consortium’s application to make Montana a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub. Tester hosted a roundtable at Missoula College last February to discuss next steps for securing a regional Montana Technology and Innovation Hub, and the innovation and economic growth it would bring to the state.

Congress passed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 to invest in high-tech manufacturing across the country, strengthen technology supply chains, and bolster development of cutting-edge research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Tester was the only member of the Montana congressional delegation to serve on the conference committee that negotiated the bill. Among Tester’s key achievements in negotiating the legislation were provisions that establish Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs in key areas across the country. He championed an amendment to ensure that a rural state like Montana would have an opportunity to secure Tech Hub funding, which could ultimately bring hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal funding to the state.