(WXIN/WTTV) — Nearly one year ago, the federal government designated Indiana as a tech hub— giving Indiana the go-ahead to apply for millions of dollars to boost its biotech/biomanufacturing industry. Now that money will soon be heading to the state. This July, the Biden Administration awarded 14 states a combined $500 million for 12 new tech hubs. Indiana’s tech hub received $51 million dollars. ”No one received more than we did,” John Fernandez, the Regional Innovation Officer for the Heartland BioWorks Tech Hub, said. According to Fernandez, that federal investment in the hub could make Indiana’s life sciences industry globally competitive within the next ten years. ”With this additional federal money, there are some key gaps in the ecosystem that we’re going to be able to address,” Fernandez said. The hub should receive that money starting in October, according to project leaders. ”They’re setting up the government structure already with a couple different advisory boards,” Purdue University Executive VP of Research Karen Plaut said. ”Are we on track? Yes.” That money is part of a much larger CHIPS and Science Act plan to divvy out $10 billion to tech hubs nationwide over the next several years.    "The idea is to build out really that sector of the economy," Plaut said. "You hope this $51 million 'first injection' builds into much more than that initial investment." But questions remain over when exactly all $10 billion will be divvied out. A new POLITICO report showed Congress has provided “less than a fifth of the planned funding for tech hubs” so far. The report shows of the nearly $3 billion authorized through FY 2023 & 2024, Congress only appropriated $540 million.   But according to Fernandez, that’s common for projects of this size. ”An optimistic point of view is that there’s a signal there from the Congress that there’s strong support to invest more into this program,” Fernandez said. But Fernandez acknowledged sustainable, long-term funding could change with a new, incoming administration. ”If the policymakers, and the politicians really want this program to be successful, they’re going to have to do subsequent appropriations on scale with what they did originally,” Fernandez said.” In a statement, the Office of Indiana Sen. Todd Young, who authored the CHIPS and Science Act, said: “Heartland BioWorks was among the first Tech Hubs to receive CHIPS and Science Act funding, which will create jobs and training opportunities for thousands of Hoosiers through innovation in biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Senator Young continues to support full funding for the Tech Hub program, which could unlock even more dollars for Indiana and across the country for regional technology innovation.”