Governor Hoeven's Six Pillars

Centers of Excellence

The Centers of Excellence program is the product of Gov. Hoeven's initiative to combine education and economic development to create higher paying jobs and new business opportunities for North Dakota citizens. The Centers are hubs of research and development on the campuses of North Dakota's 11 colleges and universities. Their objective is to research, develop and commercialize products and services to create good paying jobs for the citizens of our state, especially our young people.

Centers of Excellence have already brought $20 million to North Dakota's campuses for public-sector, private-sector projects dealing with renewable fuels, hydrogen fuel development, energy workforce training and technology, and other technical research and development areas. In the current session, the Governor and Legislature are working to secure an additional $20 million for the upcoming biennium.

When leveraged with federal and private funding, the state's $50 million committed to Centers of Excellence will bring as much as $150 million to our campuses, helping to make them true engines of economic growth for our state.

Centers of Excellence Awards to Date

First Round Awards: October 2005

Bismarck State College - Energy Center
Amount Received: $3,000,000
Amount of Match: Up to $13,082,000
Private Sector Partners: Great River Energy, Basin Electric, Reliant Energy, MDU, North American Coal, Westmoreland Coal, Minnesota Power/BNI Coal
Job Creation: Energy industry anticipates 3,350 new construction jobs and 973 new technician jobs will be created as a result of new plants being constructed.
Summary: BSC through the BSC Foundation will construct an Energy Technology Center of Excellence. The world-class facility will combine energy workforce training with environmental research while advancing the use of coal combustion products.

NDSU - Advanced Electronics Design and Manufacturing
Amount Received: $3,000,000
Amount of Match: Up to $9,550,000
Private Sector Partners: Crane Wireless Monitoring Solutions, Alien Technology Corporation, Clinical Supplies Management Inc. other companies submitted letters of support: Apparea Systems, Imation, Pedigree Technologies, Phoenix International, Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Pemstar Turtle Mountain
Job Creation: Upon successful outcome of research possible results include:
-AmeriPride increase of $3.6 million in product sales & 15 new high tech jobs plus 25 additional production jobs
-Clinical Supplies Management increase of up to $1 million in sales & 7 to 10 new jobs.
-Pedigree Technologies potential for an additional $25-50 million in sales realized.
within 5 to 7 years with possible 400 new jobs.
Summary: When funded, the Center will start research on highly-marketable products identified by two of NDSU's established private sector partners: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor tags for the cold-chain shipments market (Alien Technology), and advanced sensors utilizing a new global wireless standard (Crane Aerospace and Electronics). A third project with Clinical Services Management utilizing RFID technology will also begin. Products from these projects can be made in North Dakota's highly-capable electronics manufacturing companies, such as Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Pemstar Turtle Mountain, and Phoenix International.

UND Energy and Environmental Research Center - National Center for Hydrogen Technology
Amount Received: $2,500,000
Amount of Match: Up to $8,000,000 + anticipated $6,000,000 within 1 year
Private Sector Partners: ePower, Kraus Global Inc., Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Phoenix Industries

Lake Region State College - Technology Optimized Research
Amount Received: $500,000
Amount of Match: Up to $1,317,650
Private Sector Partners: Agri ImaGIS, Total-Crop Farming Systems, Summers Manufacturing
Job Creation: Jobs will be created at three different levels of activity: product development work at the technology companies participating in the center; testing and evaluation work carried out at the farm and experiment station sites; and expanded manufacturing jobs in Devils Lake resulting from new product enhancements.
Summary: The vision is "to become the premier center for technological applications in North American agriculture" while fulfilling its mission to birth technology-optimized products which increase net margins of North Dakota's farmer/ranchers, respond to the need for technological inputs which preserve fragile eco-systems, and create an entrepreneurial platform.

Second Round Awards: January 2006

North Dakota State University - Agbiotechnology: Oilseed Development - The Agbiotechnology Center will make available conventional and/or deregulated biotechnology lines of soybeans and canola with unique oilseed traits that have potential as biofuels, specialty lubricants and health care products. The Center will develop and evaluate these lines for their use in biodiesel and special oils, conduct marketing, and new product strategies. Lines with commercial value will be released through suitable channels.
Amount Approved: $2,000,000
Amount of Match: $10,750,000
Private Sector Partners: Monsanto, Archers Daniel Midland, and Dakota Skies Biodiesel
Job Creation Projection: 2,472

North Dakota State University - Surface Protection - The NDSU Center for Surface Protection will perform market-driven research and development of surface protecting coatings that will enhance the durability of manufactured products and address industrial problems for companies located in North Dakota and elsewhere.
Amount Approved: $1,000,000
Amount of Match: $9,577,463
Private Sector Partners: Gremada Industries, Tecton, Industrial Builders, Marvin Windows, ATMI, Micron, O'Day Equipment, Seashell Technology, International Technology Center, Technology Applications Group, Gamry, and Akzo Nobel. Job Creation Projection: approximately 120

University of North Dakota Research Foundation - Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies - The Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies (COELSAT) will create new jobs through the commercialization of research innovations into high-value products that are developed and made in North Dakota. COELSAT, a 60,000 sq ft state-of-the-art secured facility, will reside on the 80 acre Research Enterprise and Commercialization Park (REAC) and will have 38,000 sq ft of laboratories and 22,000 sq ft of office space. At the end of 5 years, COELSAT/REAC will bring in over $50 million in combined funding and revenue with 80 percent of the jobs employed in new markets that will diversify and strengthen North Dakota's economy.
Amount Approved: $3,500,000
Amount of Match: $10,000,000+
Private Sector Partners: Alion, Avianax, Agragen, BORDERS, Ideal Aerosmtih, Intraglobal Biologics, MC Strategies, Prologic, Cangene, Cirrus, SEI, ImClone
Job Creation Projection: 100-150

University of North Dakota - UAV and Simulation Applications - The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Center of Excellence will provide the conduit for private industry to bring new UAV and related business ventures to North Dakota. The UAV Center of Excellence will provide 1) human factors flight performance research on UAVs and simulation applications; 2) research and development of UAV payload sensors and ground-based cockpits; 3) education and training development for the integration of UAVs into the civilian aviation industry.
Amount Approved: $1,000,000
Amount of Match: $6,800,000
Private Sector Partners: Lockheed Martin, Alion Science and Technology, Frasca International, and Cirrus Aircraft
Job Creation Projection: 50 private sector & 25 public sector

Valley City State University - Institute for Customized Business Solutions - The Institute for Customized Business Solutions (ICBS) is a public-private partnership that will co-develop new enterprise applications consulting jobs in North Dakota. The Enterprise Application Model (EAM) is a unique approach to high-end information technology services, jointly developed by a private company and VCSU. The ICBS will use the EAM to attract, grow, and create information technology businesses to meet spiraling national demand for high quality and reasonable cost in enterprise IT services.
Amount Approved: $1,000,000
Amount of Match: $4,912,046
Private Sector Partners: Eagle Creek Software Services, Eide Bailly Technology Consulting, GEM Car, MeritCare
Job Creation: 60 by June 2007, 200 by 2008, and 400 by 2010

Williston State College - Petroleum Safety and Technology Center - The Center will co-develop and apply new oilfield technologies to meet the critical workforce and technological needs of the Oil and Gas industry in the Williston Basin. A new training site will offer hands-on experience with an actual rig and Williston State College's Workforce Training Division will advance methods and educate individuals on the latest technology needed in the oilfield industry. The Petroleum Safety and Technology Center will enhance the region's quality of life by focusing on new technologies to create higher paying, skilled jobs.
Amount Approved: $400,000
Amount of Match: $1,343,468
Private Sector Partners: Amerada Hess, Halliburton Energy Services, Sanjel, S & S Chemical, Baker Oil Tools, Nabors Well Service, Penkota Wireline Services, Sun Well Service, Schlumberger, Nabors Drilling, Natco, Encore, Tioga Gas Plant, Basint Tubin' Testin', Bear Paw Energy, Double EE, Enbridge Pipelines, Key Energy, Red River Supply, and SK & S Oilfield Services.
Job Creation Projection: 450 jobs per year / 1,800 jobs by 2010

Third Round Awards: May 2006

Dickinson State University - Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Revitalization
Amount Approved: $1.15 million
Amount of Match: Nearly $3 million
Job Creation Projection: Up to 120 jobs over five years.