SIUE expands thanks to $17M grant investments
In Illinois, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center will expand its capacity to advance pioneering research, prepare a skilled workforce and help companies bring new bioproducts to market through a $17 million investment announced Friday, Oct. 9, at NCERC alongside state and federal leaders.
The investment includes $15 million from the State of Illinois and $2 million from the Illinois Corn Growers Association, building on more than two decades of research and industry partnerships. It will strengthen SIUE’s role in agricultural innovation, biomanufacturing and economic development in Southwestern Illinois.
The investment will increase research space and capabilities, allowing NCERC to support the development and commercialization of sustainable fuels and materials.
Designated a Biorefining Center of Excellence by the Illinois General Assembly, NCERC has the capacity to scale fermentation processes to 22,000 liters. It is the largest process development capacity provided by an academic institution in the United States. This capability helps a company determine whether technologies developed through research can succeed at commercial scale.
Category: Research
