Massachusetts is part of a newly-designated federal tech hub for emerging maritime artificial intelligence.
The Department of Commerce announced the news on Monday afternoon, awarding the Ocean Tech Hub of Southeastern New England designation to Rhode Island and Massachusetts as part of an effort led by the Rhode Island Commerce Corp.
Thirty-one tech hubs were announced, all authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act signed by President Joe Biden in August 2022. The winners were selected from nearly 400 applications, and are eligible to apply to receive between $40 million and $70 million each for implementation funding.
The commerce department, led by former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, said the designations represent “an endorsement of the region’s plans to supercharge their respective technological industries to create jobs, strengthen U.S. competitiveness, and protect national security.”
In September, the Biden administration chose Massachusetts to create a biomedical and health hub in Greater Boston through the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H.
Gas prices slide 3 cents lower
Gas prices in Massachusetts shed 3 cents during the past week despite rising global tensions from the outbreak of war in the Mideast.
The price at the pump was sitting at $3.61 a gallon in the most recent survey, according to AAA, down three cents from a week ago, and 16 cents less than a month ago.
“Oil prices have been in a choppy range between the mid-$80s and lower $90s per barrel as markets watch to see if the war between Israel and Hamas widens,” said AAA Northeast Senior Spokesperson Mark Schieldrop. “This has slowed the pace of decline in gas prices that we typically expect in autumn.”
