Sponsors (4)
The bill aims to speed defense technology development and create regional innovation jobs by funding DoD-centered tech hubs and tighter coordination—but does so at added federal cost and with a risk of concentrating benefits, shifting research priorities toward military uses, and increasing administrative and security oversight challenges.
Military personnel, taxpayers, and the public: accelerates development and fielding of defense-relevant technologies by creating and coordinating regional DoD technology hubs and leveraging existing mission platforms, strengthening U.S. technological advantage.
Tech workers, researchers, students, and local economies: generates jobs, R&D opportunities, and workforce-development pipelines through hub investments, university and small-business participation, and new campus planning.
Taxpayers and policymakers: improves coordination, reduces duplicate efforts, and increases transparency via independent evaluations and regular reporting, which can identify inefficiencies and save public funds over time.
Taxpayers and the federal budget: authorizes and obligates new federal spending (including an immediate $75M and $375M authorized), increasing defense outlays and ongoing operational costs.
Rural communities and non-selected regions: concentrates jobs, investment, and infrastructure near selected hubs and existing DoD facilities, risking regional inequality and leaving many areas without benefits.
Universities, civilian researchers, and broader innovation: concentrates decision authority with the Secretary and prioritizes defense-focused R&D, which could crowd out civilian research priorities and bias funding toward military applications.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Creates a DoD program to designate and support regional defense technology hubs that speed R&D, prototyping, workforce development, and technology transition.
Introduced February 3, 2026 by Wesley Bell · Last progress February 3, 2026
Creates a Defense Technology Hubs Program at the Department of Defense to designate and support a network of regional hubs that speed development and transition of military-relevant emerging technologies, strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, and grow the defense workforce. The Secretary of Defense must select eligible consortia through an application process, ensure geographic distribution (targeting at least 10 hubs within 3 years), require security protections, avoid duplicating other federal innovation efforts, and commission regular independent evaluations and annual reports. The Act takes effect 180 days after enactment.