Tulsa Hub for Fair and Trustworthy Government

Tulsa Innovation Lab Managing Director Jennifer Hankins, center, celebrates with, from left, Alejandra Palomo, Justin Kitt, Tyrance Billingsley II and Laura Latta during the announcement of a $51 million federal grant for Tulsa technology.

Stephen Pingree, Tulsa World

Officials said a recently announced $51 million federal grant for innovation and production could transform Tulsa for generations to come.

The funding will go to the Tulsa Hub for Equitable and Trustworthy Autonomy, a consortium led by Tulsa Innovation Lab.

Jennifer Hankins, managing director of the Tulsa Innovation Lab, told supporters and partners who gathered last week to celebrate THETA's launch that it was a monumental event.

This funding will help the Tulsa region continue to advance as a global hub.

Grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration are expected to create up to 56,000 new jobs over the next decade.

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Tulsa was one of 12 cities selected from 31 originally designated as tech hubs last year.

The new center will be run by Black Tech Street in the Greenwood neighborhood, said Tyrance Billingsley II, founder and executive director of the organization.

A timeline for the new AI center has yet to be determined.

“I can't remember the last time we've had such a high concentration of African-Americans in a tech hub. It's incredible,” Billingslea said. “It's going to reexamine the vision of both Black Wall Street and technology. We want the public to know how this happens. This is incredible, this is unbelievable.”

Tarsus received the largest grant among the 12 cities that received funding. Programs in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio also received about $51 million each.

The lowest amount, about $21 million, was awarded to a program in South Florida.

The SkyWay36 Drone Port & Industrial Park is located northwest of downtown Tulsa. The facility is being developed by WindShape, an aerodynamics company with offices in Tulsa and Geneva, Switzerland. The facility is expected to receive a $51 million federal grant.

Mike Simmons, Tulsa World

Speaking exclusively to the Tulsa World ahead of last week's event, Hankins said the money will be used for research as well as local production.

This is all about creating new opportunities, she said, not necessarily 56,000 new Tulsans, but the jobs and skills Tulsans already have.

Hankins said new technologies relating to drones and robotics, for example, will be developed and manufactured here.

“We want Tulsa and Tulsans to make and build things in Tulsa that people all over the world use,” she said. “It's not about how we use the robots, it's about building them here and having Tulsans do those jobs.”

In addition to the AI ​​Center, THETA is using funding to support projects such as:

Increase coordination of commercialization strategies among universities and university-backed startups; Build a state-of-the-art test and simulation environment with a focus on cyber and data management to help companies, researchers, and regulators address barriers to commercialization; Develop a program to identify opportunities for manufacturers in the supply chain and build a manufacturing demonstration center where small and medium-sized enterprises can expand their capabilities; Expand workforce programs to align training to industry needs, provide upskilling, and offer hands-on training opportunities; Establish a governance structure to execute projects, pursue additional funding, and advance the hub strategy.

The exact grant amount will be finalized in the coming months, officials said.

A completed model of the Skyway 36 drone port is on display at the facility north of downtown Tulsa. The facility is scheduled to be completed this fall. Skyway 36 gets its name from adjacent 36th Street North and Tulsa's location along the 36th parallel north of the equator.

Mike Simmons, Tulsa World

Tulsa Innovation Labs spent 18 months preparing and writing its grant application.

“I think the Tulsa way is about determined collaboration,” says Ken Levitt, executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which led the creation of the Tulsa Innovation Lab.

Opportunities like this don't come around often, and it takes incredible effort to effectively compete and win, but they (Tulsa Innovation Labs) have done a great job — and it will pay dividends for decades to come.

“I'm grateful to organizations like the Tulsa Innovation Lab, the George Kaiser Family Foundation and their partners for their hard work in advancing innovation and making Oklahoma a leader in safe autonomous systems,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement.

These groups and their partners work with us to secure the state’s economic future while contributing to national security and enhancing Oklahoma’s global competitiveness.

“It's not about how we use robots, we want to build them here and have Tulsa residents do those jobs,” said Jennifer Hankins (center), managing director of the Tulsa Innovation Lab.

Stephen Pingree, Tulsa World

Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum said in a statement, “This is a defining moment for Tulsa. We have long been considered a leader in aerospace and aviation, and this investment is a recognition of the Tulsa Tech Hub's ability to develop the future of these technologies. There is no better place to develop the next generation of autonomous systems like drones than right here in Tulsa.”

The Skyway 36 Drone Port is under construction northwest of downtown Tulsa. The facility is expected to benefit from a $51 million federal grant aimed at developing Tulsa as a technology hub.

Mike Simmons, Tulsa World

Cherokee Nation Business is one of the local organizations receiving funding.

“We are always excited about projects like THETA because they have the potential to improve our local economy, expand Cherokee Nation companies into the autonomous systems and parts manufacturing industries, support growing defense and commercial needs, and strengthen critical supply chains,” CNB CEO Chuck Garrett said in a statement.

With the subsidies, the Biden administration aims to encourage more innovation across the country, rather than allowing it to be concentrated in a few metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and New York City, the Associated Press reported.

“We are incredibly proud to be a part of THETA and this funding will position Tulsa as a global leader in autonomous systems,” Tulsa Community College President and CEO Lee Goodson said in a statement. TCC offers a wide range of programs that prepare students for careers in cybersecurity, aerospace and engineering.

Organizations that benefit from grant funding

The organizations that will benefit from the $51 million grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration are:

Black Tech StreetCherokee Nation BusinessL3Harris AerometMadison Strategy GroupNordhamOklahoma State UniversityOsage LLCPartners TulsaRadius CapitalTEDC Creative CapitalUniversity of TulsaTulsa Community CollegeTulsa Innovation Lab

Source: Tulsa Innovation Lab

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