The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub was one of 12 U.S. Tech Hubs that received $504 million from the Economic Development Administration’s Tech Hubs Program.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates that Illinois is leading the nation in biotechnology and biomanufacturing,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to this $51 million investment from our federal partners, the iFAB consortium will have the resources they need to expand their cutting-edge research and bring innovation and growth to Central Illinois for decades to come.”

The approximately $51 million in EDA funding will be strategically allocated to projects that encompass infrastructure development, industry partnerships and more. The EDA grant will help realize a $40 million expansion of the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, as well as production line expansion and iFAB Tech Hub management. iFAB is supported by Innovate Illinois, a strategic initiative led by Governor Pritzker and co-chaired by U. of I. Chancellor Robert J. Jones.