Spokane’s advanced aerospace materials manufacturing tech hub didn't make the short list of 12 projects that will receive a total of $504 million in federal funding, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced today.

“Missing this opportunity will increase our reliance on foreign labor, threatening our national and economic security,” an emailed statement from the Gonzaga University- and Lakeside Cos.-led Inland Northwest Consortium reads.

As reported by the Journal in October, the consortium’s proposed aerospace materials manufacturing center was one of 31 proposals to receive the federal “regional technology and innovation hub,” or tech hub, designation, enabling it to pursue up to $70 million in federal funding.

The proposal called for converting the 386,000-square-foot former Triumph Composite Systems Inc. building, at 1514 S. Flint, in west Spokane, into the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center.

Despite missing out on this round of federal funding, the consortium has received news of continued interest and potential funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to Gonzaga.

Commerce announced today that assistant secretary of commerce for economic development Alejandra Castillo will visit the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center tech hub.

"While there, she and Tech Hubs Program Director Eric Smith will work with the hub to strengthen their strategy to meet the immediate and future demands of defense and commercial aerospace markets, ultimately enabling more—and more sustainable—air travel while advancing a technology sector critical to U.S. national security," a Commerce press release states.

Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh confirms in a Gonzaga release that the consortium will continue pursuing the formation of the aerospace manufacturing center.

“It was clear from the outset that this would be a very competitive process; it is also clear that our proposal is incredibly important for the future of American competitiveness in commercial aviation and aerospace," McCulloh says. "We will continue to partner with regional and national leaders to realize the vision of building our region into a premier center for aerospace materials.”

Future federal funding may become available for the Tech Hubs program, today’s press release from the EDA states.

“If subsequent funding becomes available, EDA plans to invest in additional Tech Hubs, keeping this innovative program’s momentum going for decades to come,” the press release reads.

The 12 tech hubs selected to receive the next round of funding today include a quantum information technology hub in Colorado and New Mexico, a smart photonic sensor system hub in Montana, a biomanufacturing hub in Indiana, a precision fermentation and biomanufacturing hub in Illinois, a lithium batteries and electric vehicle materials hub in Nevada, a semiconductor manufacturing hub in New York, a biofabrication hub in New Hampshire, a clean energy supply chain hub in South Carolina and Georgia, a sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure hub in Florida, a sustainable polymers hub in Ohio, a secure autonomous systems hub in Oklahoma, and a personalized medicine hub in Wisconsin.