The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is positioned to become the cornerstone of the United States' bioeconomy infrastructure in the wake of a newly released report from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that calls for bold federal investments and urgent action to secure U.S. leadership in biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

Developed with input from over 1,800 stakeholders and released through the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the report urges more than $15 billion in near-term funding and the creation of a national network of manufacturing facilities. 

The iFAB Tech Hub stands out as a ready-built model for scaling biomanufacturing innovation and commercialization. One of only 12 Tech Hubs to receive implementation funding through the U. S. Economic Development Administration, iFAB has already secured $51 million in federal support and over $680 million in matching investments across 33 consortium partners.

“This report validates the very foundation of iFAB’s mission: to advance domestic biomanufacturing capabilities, reduce reliance on foreign production, and strengthen U.S. economic and national security,” said iFAB regional innovation officer Beth Conerty. “We stand ready to deliver on this national call for biomanufacturing scale-up, commercialization, and workforce readiness.”

A major component of the EDA award will support a $40 million expansion of the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory — the nation’s premier open-access facility for scale-up and commercialization of biomanufacturing processes — adding thousands of liters of precision fermentation capacity to help close the critical infrastructure gap between lab-scale discovery and commercial production. The IBRL is housed within the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, part of The Grainger College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U. of I. 

“The University of Illinois has spent decades building one of the most robust biotechnology innovation ecosystems in the country, right here in the heartland — where breakthrough research, commercialization, and workforce training are deeply connected,” said Susan Martinis, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at U. of I. “iFAB is the natural outcome  of that investment, linking discovery to deployment and answering one of the nation’s most urgent priorities: scaling U.S. biomanufacturing capacity.”

With unmatched access to world-class research, agricultural feedstocks, and a growing pipeline of public and private investment, iFAB is uniquely positioned to lead the next era of U.S. biomanufacturing from the heart of Central Illinois. 

“While the iFAB Tech Hub is already delivering on federal priorities, the demand for U.S.-based biomanufacturing capacity far exceeds current capabilities,” Conerty said. “Continued and significant investment is still needed to fully realize the region’s potential to serve as a national engine for scale-up, innovation, and resilient supply chains.”

This report emphasizes the need for facilities like IBRL that can bridge the scale-up gap and accelerate commercialization timelines. It also underscores the urgency of predictable, rapid, and cost-competitive production — challenges iFAB is already tackling with industry and academic partners across the region.

“We have the blueprint, the infrastructure, and the momentum,” Conerty added. “Now we need sustained federal partnership to fully unlock what iFAB and IBRL can deliver for the country.”

About iFAB Tech Hub

The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub is poised to become the global leader in precision fermentation and biomanufacturing — an industry expected to grow to $200 billion over the next 15 years. Leveraging biology as a manufacturing technology of the future, iFAB is uniquely uniting world-class R&D, industry leaders, innovative startups, scalable infrastructure, abundant feedstock production, unparalleled transportation networks, and strong relationships with corn and soybean suppliers within a 51-mile radius. This unique lab-to-line approach establishes the iFAB region (Champaign, Piatt, and Macon counties) as the preeminent destination for the biomanufacturing industry