Indiana’s Heartland BioWorks, a consortium led by the Applied Research Institute, has been designated a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

In response to this announcement, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) stated that his goal with the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program was to promote innovation in future technologies in places like Indiana rather than just in Silicon Valley and a few coastal cities.

He sees this designation as an acknowledgment of Indiana’s leadership in biotechnology and synthetic biology research and manufacturing, which could lead to millions of dollars in federal investment and more private capital in biotech R&D across the state.