A $15 million investment in the
National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) will expand the facility and provide opportunities for new bioproducts using corn to scale to commercialization. The investment builds upon a more than 20-year legacy of 100+ technologies that have made ethanol production more efficient and powered more ethanol per bushel of corn.
“Illinois is home to cutting-edge institutions, and we’re building our state’s reputation as a world-class leader in research by expanding the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at SIUE,”
said Governor JB Pritzker. “As federal policies drive up costs for farmers and consumers, we’re working to provide relief while providing new investments for Illinois farmers to grow. This expansion will help turn Illinois crops into new products and create more opportunities and good-paying jobs in Southwestern Illinois.”
Investing in Illinois Agriculture, Innovation and Growth
The United States currently has limited fermentation capacity for developing and testing new products at commercial scale. As a result, some U.S. companies must use facilities outside the country. Europe has approximately twice the precision fermentation capacity of the United States, while China accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s basic fermentation capacity.
The NCERC expansion would increase domestic fermentation capacity, giving companies in the United States greater access to the facilities needed to develop, test and commercialize new bioproducts.
“An expansion in this facility will allow the testing and trials required for new corn products to scale in Illinois, building both future markets for Illinois corn and creating jobs in the agriculture and processing sectors for our state,” said Rodney Weinzierl, Executive Director of the
IL Corn Marketing Board.
Timing is Critical
According to Weinzierl, Illinois farm families are struggling financially, balancing razor thin margins with the needs of the farm and the family. The Illinois corn checkoff committed $2 million to the NCERC expansion, understanding the opportunity to build new markets that would improve commodity prices long term and provide for the next generation of Illinois corn farmers.
Broad Support Builds Momentum for Expansion
In addition to the $15 million from the State of Illinois and the $2 million allocation from IL Corn, SIUE and Southern Illinois University have made commitments to the expansion. The partnership with SIUE provides the education and experiential learning piece that grows expertise and makes Illinois a long-term center for the scaling of new bioproducts.
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has also requested funds from the federal government for the project as a part of her effort to invest in “Sili-corn Valley” in Illinois. Her district merges traditional farming with high-tech innovation, artificial intelligence in agriculture, and research institutions.
State Reps Katie Stuart and Jay Hoffman, along with Deputy Governor Andy Manar and
Director of Agriculture Jerry Costello also advocated for NCERC expansion over the last year.
“I'm proud to continue supporting NCERC back in Washington, as Co-Chair of the Biofuels Congress. This year, I submitted an additional federal funding request that will hopefully boost this already robust investment. Ultimately, this funding will help propel NCERC forward and allow them to expand on the groundbreaking work they are doing right in our district,” said Congresswoman Budzinski
Building Capacity and Talent
The expansion will build new, explosion-proof Biosafety Level 2 work areas and will add two 5,000L bioreactors to the facility. The bioreactor availability creates a major opportunity for commercialization of new bioproducts, as bioreactors are currently a limiting factor for many companies with proof of concept.
Through the connection with SIUE, the expanded facility will include a Workforce Training and Experiential Learning Center, ensuring the cutting-edge curriculum and hands-on learning to prepare students for careers as plant operators, research engineers and scientists, lab analysts, project and business managers, and more. This educational element is vital to Illinois’s future leadership in a growing bioeconomy.
The corn farmer volunteers who lead and strategically invest Illinois corn checkoff dollars seek to grow demand, create new markets, and foster understanding of corn farmers and the corn industry. The funded NCERC expansion that invites Illinois into the bioeconomy is also an investment in the corn farmers who make up the economic backbone of our state.
IL Corn will continue to recognize and invest in new opportunities for corn demand that protect Illinois agriculture and support Illinois farm families.
Read our statement from the October 9, 2026 news conference at NCERC.
