March 30, 2010 by Lilia A. Marquez

On March 18th, California Business, Transportation and Housing (BTH) Agency announced the establishment of six inaugral designations of California's new Innovation Hub (iHub) initiative.  The locations include Livermore, Orange County, San Francisco, Sacramento, Sonoma County and Coachella Valley.

The purpose of the iHub program is to promote regional collaboration and commercialization of techology to stimulate job growth and spur economic recovery in California.  Livermore's Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence (i-GATE) was submitted by the City and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in close partnership with Sandia National Laboratory.  Its mission is to maximize economic impact of green transportation and clean energy tecnologies through expedited technology transfer, entrepreneurial assistance, collaboration opportunities, academic alliances and a technology incubator for the development of high-growth green business.

According to Rob White, Livermore's Economic Development Director, investment by national and international interest as a result of establishment of the i-GATE iHUB could result in a positive financial impact and creation of over 5,000 new jobs and employment opportunities over the next decade.

In an effort to secure funding for the iHub program, the state is working with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other entities, to pursue funding grants and other resources.

The Tri-Valley community will certainly benefit from national and global exposure, marketing, and partnership opportunities.