DES MOINES, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds today welcomed the announcement that BioMADE, a Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute, has selected Iowa to establish a bioindustrial manufacturing scale-up facility at Iowa State University’s (ISU) BioCentury Research Farm in Boone, reinforcing Iowa’s leadership in bioscience innovation.
The facility will feature 5,000-liter and 10,000-liter fermenters and downstream processing equipment, enabling companies to scale up fermentation-based technologies using Iowa’s abundant agricultural feedstocks. BioMADE will operate the facility in coordination with ISU Research Park. The announcement was made at the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board meeting held today.
“Iowa is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Defense and BioMADE to build the infrastructure needed to lead in the next generation of biomanufacturing,” said Governor Reynolds. “This facility will unleash new value from our agricultural resources, create high-quality jobs, and ensure Iowa remains at the forefront of bioscience innovation and global competitiveness.”
Established in 2020, BioMADE leads a nationwide program to address a foundational gap in domestic pilot- and demonstration-scale bioindustrial manufacturing infrastructure. In 2024, BioMADE announced that Iowa was one of six states named as a finalist for potential project support—recognizing Iowa’s strategic assets in agriculture, renewable energy, and bioscience expertise.
“BioMADE is thrilled to be establishing this facility in Iowa,” said Dr. Douglas Friedman, Chief Executive Officer at BioMADE. “Iowa’s longstanding leadership in bioindustrial manufacturing makes it an ideal site for scale-up capacity. We’re excited to work with our partners at Iowa State University to establish this site, which will secure domestic supply chains for critical consumer and defense products – while also creating new markets for American-grown crops, re-shoring manufacturing jobs, and expanding rural development.”
At a total project value of $40 million, BioMADE has committed at least $20 million, which will be matched by up to $10 million in cost-share contributions from ISU and $10 million in funding from IEDA’s Strategic Infrastructure Program, approved today by the IEDA board over two fiscal years. The project will support workforce development, startup growth, and technology commercialization, while helping Iowa diversify beyond traditional biofuels and attract early-stage companies to establish permanent operations in the state.
“At ISU Research Park, we believe that the future of agriculture lies in bold partnerships and relentless innovation. Collaborations like the one with BioMADE, IEDA, ISU Research Park and Iowa State exemplify how these entities can come together to accelerate breakthroughs that will shape the next generation of sustainable, resilient ag technologies,” said Rick Sanders, president, ISU Research Park. “We’re proud to be part of a movement that has the potential to secure additional value and products from crops produced right here in Iowa and in turn, strengthen the bioeconomy.”
For more information, contact:
Kevin M. Moore, CTO Biobased Products, Iowa State University – kevinm1@iastate.edu
Dr. Brent Shanks, Program Lead, Biobased Products, Iowa State University – bshanks@iastate.edu
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