America COMPETES in tech, science and education
Two bills aimed to boost America and the Great Lakes region’s economy are to be negotiated in the coming weeks and months by leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to enhance research and innovation in manufacturing through the America COMPETES and USICA legislation.
“Right now, the house version is called the COMPETES Act and the Senate version is called USICA,” said Matt Smith, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce president. “The House has their conference committee members and so does the Senate. Right now, they are trying to resolve any differences between those two pieces of legislation.”
The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act of 2022 (COMPETES) and the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) will help the region compete on a global playing field in microchips, robotics and autonomous vehicles, according to Smith.
“When you look at those, there will be countries globally and markets domestically that are at the forefront of those industries,” Smith said. “We think it's really critical in the United States to be at that forefront."
According to TEConomy Partners, a global leader in research, analysis and strategy for innovation-driven economic development, a conservative estimate of the Pittsburgh region’s autonomous systems industry, which includes Butler County, today involves 71 companies and 6,300 jobs, which generates significant economic impacts.
TEConomy Partners also says that these direct jobs support more than 8,600 additional jobs through indirect efforts for a total economic impact of over 14,000 jobs.
“These industries are going to occur somewhere in the world,” Smith added. “We believe its vital for those industries to be located in a very robust way in the United States. When you take it a step down a level, we think there's a great opportunity for the Pittsburgh region, which we believe is positioned to be a global leader in those spaces.”
The bills are similar in a lot of ways Smith explained, which, with new previsions, he hopes they will expand Pell Grant eligibility, prioritize registered apprenticeship opportunities and create competitive funding opportunities that reduce cost, time and risk of commercializing new research and technology in emerging industries.
“Both of them include investments in university technology centers and innovation institutes,” Smith said. “They may differ in some of the details, but, at the end of the day, they both came out of a piece of legislation called the Endless Frontiers Act."
A Pell Grant is a form of need-based federal financial aid that typically does not have to be repaid.
“That's going to help students to tap into more of these opportunities,” Smith said. “Everyone knows talent is a major driver of economic development.”
“We think that is going to help underserved populations,” he added. “Anything that expands opportunities for young adults to take advantage of opportunities in these innovation sectors.“
As the COVID-19 pandemic triggered travel restrictions, demand for new cars went down. Automakers trimmed their production plans and reduced their orders for new microchips. When demand eventually came back, the country experienced a microchip shortage.
“We want to make sure the United States has a robust supply chain,” Smith said.
The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and 13 other chambers representing 50,000 businesses across the Great Lakes region have come together to advocate for these federal innovation priorities through The Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition.
“It’s a group of metro chambers,” Smith said. “We lobby federal policy makers through that coalition and we engage them directly. We think this is potentially an impactful piece of legislation.”
