Tulsa Receives $51 Million Grant to Lead Tech Innovation, Establish AI Center of Excellence and Bridge Talent Gap

Tulsa Innovation Labs, which leads a tech innovation consortium in the city, has received a $51 million grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration. The funding will be used to develop new drone and related technologies and to train a workforce in this field.

Tyrance Billingsly of Black Tech Street announced that his group will establish an AI center of excellence in Greenwood with support from the grant and an unspecified partner. This initiative aims to make Greenwood a model for responsible AI use in the country.

Last year, Tulsa was designated a “Tech Hub” by the Biden Administration, which contributed to securing the competitive grant award. Jennifer Hankins, Managing Director of Tulsa Innovation Labs, highlighted that the grant programming will build on Tulsa’s historical expertise in industries such as aerospace, manufacturing, defense, and energy.

The Atlas School plans to expand its software training offerings to assist other recipients of the grant money. Libby Ediger from the Atlas School emphasized the importance of building physical infrastructure for testing drones to attract companies that can develop and test these systems, creating new job opportunities. The school aims to bridge the talent gap so that these new jobs can flourish in Tulsa.