This Week’s Tech Highlights:
- DOE Releases RTES Framework: Research Technology and Economic Security (RTES) framework for addressing risks in financial assistance and loan activities
- White House Recommendations to Increase Small Business Subcontracting Opportunities: SBA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced measures to enhance small business access to federal loans and contracts
- NSF’s Workforce Development Funding: NSF Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies to train U.S. workforce on a variety of emerging technologies
Tech Sector News:
- Microelectronics: Dept. of Commerce awarded Intel up to $7.865 billion under the CHIPS Incentives Program to support its expansion plan
- Advanced Energy: DOE announced $20 million for nine projects to modernize grid transformers
- Critical Minerals: DOE report proposes the creation of the United States Reserve of Critical-Mineral Commodities (U.S. ROCC)
- Advanced Communication: DIU’s Wireless Crew project developed a hands-free, wireless communication solution for maritime operations
- AI: DLA awarded three AI contracts worth $3.5 million to focus on developing AI tools in acquisition systems
- Advanced Materials: AFRL SPIRAL experiment to test Variable Emissivity Materials (VEMs) for managing temperature extremes in space
- Buildings Tech: GSA announces $119.8 million contract for energy savings projects at five federal buildings
- Clean Energy: The five-week BRIDGE program, a collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and Red Cloud Renewable
And more!
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GENERAL EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
DOE Announces Framework for Assessing Research, Technology, and Economic Security (RTES) Risk
The Department of Energy (DOE) has released a framework for addressing Research Technology and Economic Security (RTES) risks in financial assistance and loan activities. The approach aligns funding offices while tailoring requirements for various R&D stages. DOE will offer webinars, additional resources, and listening sessions to support applicants and adapt to evolving risks and community feedback. Registration is available on the RTES website.
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NSF Announces Funding Opportunity to Train and Expand the U.S. Workforce Across a Range of Key Technologies
The NSF Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies (NSF ExLENT) program, in partnership with the Micron Foundation, has updated its funding opportunity to enhance U.S. workforce training in emerging technologies like advanced manufacturing and biotechnology. With grants up to $1M over three years, the program fosters cross-sector partnerships and offers three tracks—Pivots, Beginnings, and Explorations-tailored to varying skill levels.
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SBA’s Interagency Task Force to Address Veteran Small Business Development at Dec. 11 Public Meeting
The SBA will hold the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development meeting on Dec. 11, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET, virtually. Open to the public, the meeting addresses challenges for veteran-owned businesses and policy recommendations. Agencies and organizations will collaborate to support veteran entrepreneurship. Public comments are encouraged by Dec. 10 via email.
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White House OMB Makes Suggestions to Increase Small Business Subcontracting Opportunities
The SBA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced measures to enhance small business access to federal loans and contracts. SBA raised the cap on Community Advantage loans up to $500,000 for underserved businesses. OMB additionally issued new procurement guidance to improve forecasting and expand subcontracting opportunities. Efforts also focus on leveraging small disadvantaged businesses for R&D, bolstering supply chain resilience and competitiveness.
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Opinion: The US Navy is at Risk of Losing Vital Shipbuilding Skills
The U.S. faces a manufacturing skills gap, with 2.1 million unfilled jobs projected by 2030, threatening economic and defense capabilities. The Navy’s “1+2 Mission” and partnerships like BlueForge Alliance aim to revitalize the maritime industrial base by boosting workforce training, supplier development, and advanced manufacturing adoption. These initiatives aim to ensure a stronger, more resilient maritime sector for national security.
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DOT Announces Nearly $5 Million in Grants to Improve Movement of Goods Along United States Marine Highways
The U.S. Maritime Administration has awarded $4.85 million to five marine highway projects in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Washington, and West Virginia. The funding supports waterborne freight services, modernizing cargo handling, improving efficiency, and reducing emissions. Selected projects aim to enhance supply chain reliability, expand capacity, and shift cargo from congested highways to waterways.
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Department of Interior Announces Nearly $850 Million to Revitalize Aging Water Infrastructure, Advance Drought Resilience
The Department of the Interior has announced a $849 million investment in 77 water infrastructure projects across 11 Western states. The funding will improve water delivery systems, enhance storage, support hydropower generation, and aid water treatment, including $118.3 million for 14 Colorado River Basin projects. Efforts aim to address drought, boost climate resilience, and modernize aging infrastructure.
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Energy Department Researches Distribution Transformer Types and Demand Drivers
The DOE’s Office of Electricity released a report on U.S. distribution transformers, analyzing their age, capacity, and rising demand driven by failures, end-of-life replacements, and new customer needs. Key factors include electric vehicles, data centers, and renewable energy. Researchers found 55% of transformers are over 33 years old, potentially increasing failure rates as electricity demand grows.
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Putin Approves Record Defense Spending — A Third of Russia’s Budget
Russia approved a record defense budget of $126 billion for 2025, allocating 32.5% of government spending as the Ukraine conflict continues. The war strains both economies, with Russia facing inflation, labor shortages, and recruitment challenges. Ukraine, despite material disadvantages, receives ongoing Western military aid, including advanced systems from the United States and other Western allies.
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PSF ANALYSIS & INSIGHTS
PSF Dashboard: Regional Innovation Ecosystem Dashboard
In October, we at Public Spend Forum announced the release of our Regional Innovation Ecosystem Dashboard, based on over 9 months of work and years of data collection.Our goal is to highlight emerging centers of innovation, by tech area and by region, so we can better align funding, drive collaboration, and accelerate place-based as well as overall innovation.
There’s a lot more to uncover. You can access the Public Innovation Ecosystem Dashboard to see more information.
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TECHNOLOGY SECTOR-SPECIFIC NEWS
Microelectronics: Dept. of Commerce Announces CHIPS Incentives Award to Intel to Advance U.S. Chip Capacity
The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded Intel up to $7.865 billion under the CHIPS Incentives Program to support its $100+ billion expansion plan, including advanced chip fabrication and packaging in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon. This investment aims to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing, create thousands of jobs, and enhance national security and technological innovation.
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Advanced Energy: DOE Advances U.S. Electric Grid Resilience and Reliability with New Transformer and Silicon Carbide Packaging Projects
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $20 million for nine projects under the Flexible Innovative Transformer Technologies initiative to modernize grid transformers and $400,000 in prizes for eight winners in the Silicon Carbide Packaging Prize Phase 1. These efforts aim to enhance grid resilience, improve transformer technology, and advance semiconductor packaging for high-voltage energy storage applications.
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Critical Minerals: Resilient Resource Reserve – A Plan to Catalyze the American Critical Mineral Processing Industry
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a report advocating for the creation of the United States Reserve of Critical-Mineral Commodities (U.S. ROCC), a federal entity to stabilize critical mineral prices and enhance domestic processing capacity. Using financial tools like contracts-for-differences and market commitments, the plan aims to counter price volatility, attract private investment, and secure resilient supply chains for essential modern technologies.
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Advanced Communications: DIU Partnering to Deliver Scalable, Wireless Tactical Communications
The Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Wireless Crew project, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), has developed a hands-free, wireless communication solution for maritime operations. The solution, prototyped and tested in real-world scenarios, improves communication, safety, and efficiency for crews. The final product, tested in November, demonstrated multi-mission functionality, ease of use, and durability for challenging missions.
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AI: DLA awards AI contracts to close out Hackathon
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has awarded three AI contracts worth $3.5 million to Accenture, Knexus, and Scale AI following its first Hackathon. These contracts focus on developing AI tools for demand planning, chatbots, and virtual agents in acquisition systems. The initiative aims to advance DLA’s digital transformation and enhance its global supply chains with AI and machine learning technologies.
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Advanced Materials: AFRL Testing Variable Emissivity Materials for Thermal Challenges on Space Vehicles
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has launched the Space Power InfraRed Regulation and Analysis of Lifetime (SPIRAL) experiment to test Variable Emissivity Materials (VEMs) for managing temperature extremes in space. VEMs change optical properties in response to temperature, helping spacecraft retain or reject heat. The experiment aims to improve thermal management in space advancing space-based solar power systems, and revolutionizing spacecraft thermal control.
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Buildings Tech: GSA Awards $120 Million Contract for New Energy Conservation Measures at Five Facilities in the National Capital Region
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded a $119.8 million contract for energy savings projects at five federal buildings in Washington, D.C., and College Park, MD. The upgrades will improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and convert buildings to electric power, cutting carbon emissions by 5,734 metric tons.
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Clean Energy: New Program from Sandia National Labs Aims to BRIDGE Gap in Solar
The Bridging Renewable Industry Divides in Gender Equality (BRIDGE) Program offers hands-on photovoltaic installation training to Native American women, aiming to equip them for solar energy jobs on tribal lands. The five-week course, a collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and Red Cloud Renewable, addresses the industry’s gender disparity, with plans to train 45 women over the next few years. Participants gain skills in clean energy and job placement support.
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