BioMADE, a project run by the U.S. Department of Defense, in partnership with the state of Iowa, Iowa State University and the ISU Research Park, has broken ground on the new 15,000-square-foot pilot-scale bioindustrial manufacturing facility near Ames, slated to open in 2027. The $40 million project, including $20 million from BioMADE and matching contributions from ISU and the Iowa Economic Development Authority, will feature industrial fermenters, advanced labs and processing equipment to support scaling up agricultural bioproducts for defense and commercial markets. The facility aims to boost supply chain resilience, national security and rural economic development, providing U.S.-based companies with infrastructure to innovate and compete globally while creating new markets for Iowa-grown crops. The facility is part of BioMADE’s national Pilot Plant Network, which also includes facilities in Minnesota and California.

Related: Bringing biotech to market with new $40M BioMADE facility in Ames