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From left, Beth Conerty, Nicole Bateman and Carly McCrory-McKay will help lead the iFAB Tech Hub to drive economic growth and job creation in central Illinois through precision biomanufacturing and fermentation with approximately $51 million in support from the Economic Development Administration’s Tech Hubs program.
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Credits: Anna Longworth Photography
The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub has been awarded approximately $51 million from the Tech Hubs program through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The iFAB consortium, led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will receive a Phase 2 implementation grant to position the Illinois hub as a global leader in precision biomanufacturing and fermentation, supporting national security, economic growth and job creation.
“Receiving this grant is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our partners and the strategic importance of leveraging biology as the manufacturing technology of the future. We are excited to lead this charge to make central Illinois the heart of biomanufacturing in the United States and beyond,” said Beth Conerty, iFAB regional innovation manager and associate director of business development at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, part of the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, EDA designated 31 regional innovation and technology hubs eligible for Phase 2 implementation funding last October. Today, EDA announced that iFAB is one of 12 technology hubs selected for implementation funding.
“The Tech Hub designation and Phase 2 funding are just the beginning. We are poised to continue our growth and investment, with a focus on expanding our workforce, enhancing entrepreneurship and building our technology capabilities,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, executive director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, which leads iFAB. “The commitment and collaboration of our partners, from higher education and government agencies to industry leaders and startups, has been instrumental in reaching this point. Their expertise, resources and innovative spirit are essential to our strategy as we advance these critical initiatives. The future of iFAB is bright, and together, we are setting new standards for what can be achieved in biomanufacturing right here in central Illinois.”
The EDA Phase 2 grant will help fill gaps in support for a broad range of biomanufacturing companies developing precision fermentation innovations to create zero-emission, high-value products from agricultural feedstocks. By harnessing microbes to transform local feedstocks—primarily corn and soybeans—into a variety of products such as textiles, biofuels, food ingredients, and more, these efforts could revolutionize domestic manufacturing. The precision fermentation industry is expected to reach $200 billion by 2040, with the potential to generate one million jobs by 2030.
This funding announcement follows strategic discussions in Washington, DC, where the importance of biomanufacturing to national security was highlighted, as well as the unique capabilities of central Illinois to position itself as the epicenter of biomanufacturing in the United States.
“Central Illinois is uniquely positioned to lead the way in biomanufacturing, leveraging an ecosystem of industry leaders, innovative startups, world-class R&D, scalable infrastructure, abundant raw material production and robust transportation networks,” said Nicole Bateman, President of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, iFAB Director. “This historic investment in iFAB’s vision and infrastructure will position the United States to compete with Europe and China, which have invested heavily in this space.”
Ultimately, the Phase II Implementation Grant will strengthen iFAB’s ability to attract and support companies joining the growing biomanufacturing ecosystem in Champaign, Piatt and Macon counties.
Expansion of bioprocesses:The EDA grant will help complete a $40 million expansion of the IBRL, which will include a 1,500-liter fermenter capacity upgrade.
Production line extension: Primient and Synonym will receive funding to achieve 13,000 liters of fermentation capacity; ADM will use Phase 2 funding to upgrade its precision fermentation facility to 80,000 liters. This significant investment solidifies Decatur’s role as a key player in the expanding central Illinois biomanufacturing corridor.
Management of the iFAB technology hub: The EDA grant will support the management of the iFAB Tech Hub, formalizing the leadership roles of Conerty, McCrory-McKay and Bateman as well as Laura Appenzeller, associate vice chancellor for innovation and executive director of the University of Illinois Research Park, and Kim Kidwell, associate chancellor for strategic partnerships and initiatives at the University of Illinois. Brian Jacobson, associate director of strategic operations for IBRL, will serve as the infrastructure development program manager. iFAB will hire additional staff to support these efforts.
iFAB is supported by the Innovate Illinois coalition, a strategic initiative led by Governor J.B. Pritzker and co-chaired by University of Illinois Chancellor Robert J. Jones.
“Today’s EDA grant not only recognizes but actively fuels our mission to make Central Illinois a critical player in biomanufacturing on the world stage. With these new resources, we are equipped to accelerate our initiatives, ensuring that our region not only meets the standards of excellence in biomanufacturing innovation, but also sets the standard for excellence,” Jones said. “This partnership exemplifies how the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign can leverage its expertise and resources to drive progress and prosperity in our region.”
About iFAB
The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) technology hub is poised to become the global leader in precision fermentation and biomanufacturing, an industry expected to reach $200 billion in the next 15 years. Leveraging biology as the manufacturing technology of the future, iFAB uniquely brings together world-class R&D, industry leaders, innovative startups, scalable infrastructure, abundant raw material production, unmatched transportation networks, and strong relationships with corn and soybean suppliers within a 51-mile radius. This unique lab-to-production line approach makes the iFAB region (Champaign, Piatt, and Macon counties) the premier destination for the biomanufacturing industry.
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