Congressman Castro Announces $1 Million for UTSA and Port SA Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Park Included in Defense Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced $1 million for the University of Texas at San Antonio and Port San Antonio to build a cybersecurity manufacturing innovation park has been included in the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee's bill. Congressman Castro submitted this project on behalf of UTSA and Port SA to the House Appropriations Committee for federal funding and it was included in the annual spending bill.

"San Antonio can lead the nation in cybersecurity manufacturing, and this collaborative venture between UTSA and Port SA will enable our workers to gain invaluable skills and our small businesses to compete globally," said Congressman Castro. "I submitted this community project in my district for funding by Congress, and glad it's been included in House appropriations legislation. This project is a good example of how we can both bolster U.S. national security and support good-paying jobs in our community."

"With this proposed federal funding, UTSA will leverage the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII), which is funded by the Department of Energy for $111M over five years, to launch a Texas-focused cybersecurity manufacturing innovation ecosystem at Port San Antonio," said Taylor Eighmy, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio. "Our work will help Texas small and medium sized advanced manufacturers to prepare for upcoming Department of Defense requirements and introduce manufacturers to the next generation of cyber informed secure by design architectures. This ecosystem will create a mechanism for place-based innovation for Texas manufacturers to lead the nation in "secure to market" products."

"Port San Antonio's work growing our campus as a dynamic innovation destination helps position Texas as a national leader in cyber-secure manufacturing," said Jim Perschbach, President & CEO, Port San Antonio. "This funding further strengthens our collaboration with UTSA in delivering essential education and capabilities in cybersecurity to small and medium-sized Texas businesses--strengthening their resilience as they continue to compete globally, creating jobs and leading the growth of our community's and state's economies."

Background:

This UTSA project, located at Port San Antonio, will allow small and medium-sized defense industrial base (DIB) businesses to establish cybersecure satellite production lines and warehousing, and also participate in workforce training in cybersecurity and energy efficiency. The hub leverages the nation's 2nd largest cyber and national security ecosystem, UTSA's Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII), and Port San Antonio's technology campus to advance San Antonio's and the United States' leadership in global manufacturing competitiveness.

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