ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
December 12-13 – pick up your fruit orders between 4-6 PM
 
December 14 – Election of Club Officers
 
December 16 – Crisis Nursery Children’s Shop at the Orpheum, 8:30 AM – Noon
 
December 21 – Holiday Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange
 
December 28 – No meeting
 
January 3 – 7 AM Board Meeting on Zoom
 
January 10 – Books 2 Prisoners, 5-6:30 PM
 
 
PROGRAM
 
Beth Conerty and Carly McCrory McKay talked about for the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory and its recent designation as a Tech Hub.
 
Carly is the Executive Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.   Beth is the Associate Director of Business Development for IBRL and the Regional Innovation Officer for iFAB Tech Hub.  She holds a PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Lab.
 
IBRL uses precision fermentation to create products.   It is estimated that by 2030, biomanufacturing will provide a million jobs. But the lack of fermentation infrastructure is currently bottlenecking the industry in the U.S. 
 
The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation and the Macon County Economic Development Corporation are collaborating to establish an AG-Tech corridor.  Decatur has the raw materials and Champaign has the University.   
 
In October, IBRL was one of 31 sites nationwide that were awarded the designation of Tech Hub under the CHIPS Act.   The CHIPS Act is part of our government’s effort to be less reliant on China.  Champaign’s is the only Tech Hub devoted to bioprocessing.   A 31 partner local consortium will work to scale up precision fermentation and biomanufacturing and to attract start up companies to Illinois.
 
Phase II applications are due in February.  IBRL is applying for a 40-70 million dollar grant to build out their infrastructure.   
 
For more information, go to https://ifabtechhub.research.illinois.edu.