Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center will expand its research, commercialization, and workforce development capacity through a $17 million investment.
The funding includes $15 million from the State of Illinois and $2 million from the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
The investment will expand NCERC’s research space and capabilities, allowing the center to support development and commercialization of sustainable fuels, materials, and other bioproducts.
SIUE said the expansion will enable additional work beyond traditional ethanol, including sustainable aviation fuel, biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol products, and other technologies supporting the bioeconomy.
NCERC has been designated a Biorefining Center of Excellence by the Illinois General Assembly.
The center can scale fermentation processes to 22,000 liters, which SIUE describes as the largest process-development capacity available through an academic institution in the United States.
That capability enables companies to evaluate whether technologies developed through laboratory research can operate successfully at commercial scale.
Since 2003, NCERC has worked with startups, technology developers, and other industry partners and has contributed to advancing more than 100 technologies toward commercial readiness.
The expansion is also expected to strengthen NCERC’s capabilities in agricultural feedstock utilization, artificial intelligence, automation, and digital bioprocessing.
Workforce development will be another major component of the project.
Through partnerships with SIUE and Lewis and Clark Community College, expanded facilities and programming are expected to create capacity to train an additional 200 workers annually for Illinois’ biomanufacturing and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The project is also expected to create approximately 25 new full-time positions at NCERC and support more than 100 construction jobs.
SIUE said the additional capacity is particularly important because NCERC’s existing facilities have been unable to accommodate some potential projects, requiring the center to turn away contracts or refer opportunities elsewhere.
The expanded facility is expected to support additional industry partnerships, attract private-sector investment, and strengthen Southwestern Illinois’ position in agricultural technology and biomanufacturing.
KEY QUOTES:
“This announcement will usher in a new era for SIUE, for student researchers, for our corn growers, and for the future of the bioeconomy here in Illinois. With this $17 million investment, NCERC will be able to expand research and training capacity and give businesses the skilled talent they need to grow.”
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski
“This expansion creates an opportunity for innovation beyond traditional ethanol, unlocking the potential of renewable feedstocks, the acceleration of industry research ,and the ability to develop technologies that tomorrow’s bioeconomy will require ,such as sustainable aviation fuel, biodiesel ,or cellulosic ethanol products.”
James T. Minor, PhD, Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
“The NCERC expansion represents a strategic investment in Illinois’ long-term competitiveness and the nation’s bioeconomy. By integrating advanced capabilities in agricultural feedstock utilization, AI, automation, and digital bioprocessing with hands-on workforce development, NCERC will accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies, attract private-sector investment, and prepare the skilled talent needed to advance the next generation of biomanufacturing.”
Praveen Vadlani, Executive Director of NCERC
“NCERC has a unique industry profile that few places in the country can match. Its ability to take emerging technologies from research and development through scale-up and toward commercialization gives companies a reason to look at our region when deciding where to innovate, invest and grow.”
Kyle Anderson, Executive Director of Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois
“We thank Governor Pritzker for recognizing the importance of this investment and for his support. NCERC has helped scale countless technologies, making ethanol production more efficient and lowering costs to the consumer over the last 23 years. With this investment in added scale-up capacity, we can continue improving ethanol efficiency while creating new bio-based products and building markets for the next generation of farmers.”
Mark Bunselmeyer, President of the Illinois Corn Growers Association
