The announcement came after a proposal by a consortium of nearly 50 companies, universities and government agencies to repurpose the former Triumph Composite Systems Inc. facility near Spokane International Airport was named as a finalist but missed out in the first round of funding for the Commerce Department's tech hub program. The program was created through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act that Congress passed in 2022, spearheaded by Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
After the Spokane-area proposal missed out on the first round of funding, Cantwell worked with Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Spokane Republican who then led the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to approve an additional $500 million for the program in a year-end defense spending bill in December. That money is supposed to come from the future sale of rights to use radio frequency bands, known as a spectrum auction.
"The country that figures out how to use advanced materials to increase manufacturing capacity and aircraft fuel efficiency is going to have a huge competitive advantage," Cantwell said in a statement. "America is handing the baton to Spokane — establishing it as an innovation testbed for high-rate aerospace materials manufacturing. We're betting on Spokane's leadership and manufacturing base to solve the aviation challenges America faces. This important R&D mission will help ensure our nation's future aerospace leadership."
Those auctions will also be used to fund a "rip and replace" program to remove telecommunications equipment made by companies with ties to the Chinese government. In a statement, McMorris Rodgers said she "was pleased to find common ground" with Cantwell before the end of 2024 to fund the two priorities, adding that she is "thrilled" the tech hub funding will let the Spokane area "continue its vital aerospace research and testing so that America wins the future in the sky and space."
The facility west of Spokane will be the first in the nation that can produce, on a large scale, advanced thermoplastic materials that can replace metal to make airplanes lighter and more fuel efficient. In an interview, Cantwell recalled a conversation in which an executive approached her and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at an event in Seattle and told them, "Just tell us where you're going to go, and we'll follow."
His meaning was clear, the senator said: There's too much need for innovation in the United States for all of it to happen in a handful of tech meccas like Seattle and the Silicon Valley. If the federal government invests in places like the I-90 corridor around Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, private investment will follow.
Asked why such a large federal investment is needed, rather than using tax breaks or other incentives to spur the private sector to innovate, Cantwell said the cost of research and development is "a real barrier" for companies that stand to benefit from the materials that will be produced at the Airway Heights facility.
When news of the grant broke Tuesday morning, statements from stakeholders showed broad enthusiasm for the investment. A statement from the aerospace giant Boeing, which has weathered several tough years amid problems with its aircraft and spacecraft, suggested that the Inland Northwest facility could help the region remain a leader in an industry the company pioneered after it was founded in Seattle.
"Advanced materials are critical to the future of aerospace manufacturing, and this funding for the Spokane Technology Hub will help ensure the Pacific Northwest remains an industry leader in innovation, workforce development, and job creation," said Boeing spokesman Connor Greenwood.
The composite materials produced in Airway Heights could also be used in space travel, and NASA, the U.S. space agency, is part of the consortium along with Blue Origin, the Kent-based space tech company created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. In a statement, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the new tech hub "will ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in the global marketplace."
Cantwell likened the grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, part of the Commerce Department, to "winning the Super Bowl" and said the investment should create "a nucleus for companies to locate" in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area and build the nation's manufacturing capacity for the future.
Several secondary and higher-education institutions are also part of the consortium, including Coeur d'Alene Public Schools, Gonzaga University, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, the University of Washington and the University of Idaho.
In a statement, Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh said he is pleased that the Commerce Department made such a significant grant to the region. The initial round of 12 tech hubs received between $19 million and $51 million.
"We have been confident from the beginning that the Spokane-North Idaho Tech Hub holds tremendous potential for the development of advanced technologies, manufacturing, and production that will help meet critical demand for aerospace components," McCulloh said. "We are committed to pursuing additional funding to support educational programs and workforce development that will be essential to the success of the Tech Hub."
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, who worked on the tech hub effort in her previous role as Washington state commerce director, said the city "will benefit tremendously from the business expansion and good jobs that will result from this unprecedented federal investment."
Jon Holden, president of the IAM aerospace machinists' union District 751, said thousands of workers will benefit from the investment.
"Spokane's Tech Hub positions our state at the forefront of sustainable aviation innovation, ensuring we remain a global leader in aerospace manufacturing," Holden said in a statement. "By advancing cutting-edge thermoplastics and advanced manufacturing, this initiative not only bolsters our economy but also creates remarkable opportunities for the next generation of machinists and aerospace workers."
The facility will be operational by the end of 2026, according to Cantwell.
Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
© 2025 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
