Tulsa Awarded $51 Million For Technology Innovation

The Federal Economic Development Administration awarded a $51 million grant to a tech innovation consortium in Tulsa, which will use it to develop new drone and related technologies and train a workforce around it.

Tulsa Innovation Labs is the lead for the group, which includes universities, tribes, and individual recipients involved in autonomous and AI-related projects.

Tyrance Billingsly, who leads Black Tech Street, said his group would be able to build out a storefront in Greenwood, leveraging support from the grant and an unspecified partner to be named later.

“We'll be establishing an AI center of excellence in Greenwood, that's half physical space and half a body or programming that’s basically meant to establish Greenwood as the blueprint for responsible AI in the country,” he said.

Last year - Tulsa was named a “Tech Hub” by the Biden Administration, which helped lead to the competitive grant award. Tulsa is one of a dozen cities that was awarded funding in the program.

Jennifer Hankins, Managing Director of Tulsa Innovation Labs, said the grant programming will build on the historical expertise of the Tulsa workforce.

“Everything about autonomous systems comes from our legacy roots in aerospace, manufacturing, defense and energy, so what we're really doing is using this opportunity to think forward in those industries and make sure the innovation that those industries continue to create are innovated here, kept here, stay here and grow here," she said.

The Atlas School, a software training program, plans to expand its offerings to help the other recipients of the grant money.

“It's building physical infrastructure so that drones can be tested, which will attract companies that will be able to build and test these systems that unlock new jobs. And it's our job to fill the talent gap so these new jobs can exist in our city,” Libby Ediger with the Atlas School said.