News Releases for September 2008
September 10, 2008
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Hoeven Announces Centers Of Excellence Funding
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today announced that the Centers of Excellence Commission and the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation have approved seven new jobs creation and economic development projects in the fifth round of awards. If the projects agreed to by the Commission today are authorized by the Legislative Budget Section and Emergency Commission, total funding for these Centers of Excellence projects will be $14 million with matches of up to $40 million.
"The projects demonstrate how our North Dakota universities are skillfully combining education and economic development to create higher paying jobs and new business opportunities in our state," Hoeven said. "The quality and diversity of the projects reviewed, reflects the level of leadership and innovation at work on our campuses and in our business communities."
The projects will now be reviewed by the State Board of Higher Education on Sept. 11, followed by the Emergency Commission on Sept. 15 and the Budget Section on Sept. 25.
Projects totaling $10 million were approved in fall 2007, but two of them have withdrawn their request for funding. Therefore, those funds have become available for use during this round of funding.
The Centers of Excellence projects for approval are:
- North Dakota State University – Center for Integrated Electronic Systems
Amount Recommended: $2,050,000
Amount of Match: up to $4,100,000
Proposed Private Sector Partners: Bobcat, Pedigree Technologies, Intelligent InSites, Datacom International
Proposed Job Creation: 60-90
Center Designation: Commercialization
Summary: The Center for Integrated Electronic Systems will perform market-driven, research and development projects involving systems integration of electronic hardware and software. Such projects will enable private sector partner to create and manufacture new and/or improved high technology products, generate more revenue and profit, and/or be more competitive in the global marketplace.
- North Dakota State University - Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Production
Amount Recommended: $2,000,000
Amount of Match: up to $4,742,000
Proposed Private Sector Partners: Aldevron, Clinical Supplies Management (CSM), ParaClin, PRACS Institute, and MeritCare.
Proposed Job Creation: approximately 40
Center Designation: Commercialization
Summary: The Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Production will design, develop and produce biopharmaceutical products including efficient DNA vaccines, using biotechnology, nanotechnology and high throughput parallel experimentation and processing technologies. The Center's synergistic and sustainable relationship with academic, industry, federal funding agencies and the community will fuel biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors to discover and develop new vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals to treat some of the most challenging diseases facing humankind. The long-term goal of the Center is to encompass vaccines and biopharmaceuticals development, preclinical and clinical studies in conjunction with the private sector partners.
- UND Research Foundation – Center of Excellence for Passive Therapeutics
Amount Recommended: $2,650,000
Amount of Match: up to $8,400,000
Proposed Private Sector Partners: Mayo Clinic; Avianax; Aldevron; Schiltz Goose R&D; Schiltz Goose Farms, North
Proposed Job Creation: 20 in 1-2 years; 40+ jobs in 3-5 years
Center Designation: Commercialization and Infrastructure
Summary: The purpose of the Center of Excellence for Passive Therapeutics is to develop passive (antibodies) therapeutics for people exposed to or infected with viral infections diseases using value added agricultural products. Once shown efficacious in pre-clinical and clinical trials, therapeutic products utilizing antibodies from goose eggs will be produced in their entirety in North Dakota.
- UND – SUNRISE BioProducts: A Center of Excellence for Chemicals, Polymers, and Composites from Crop Oils
Amount Recommended: $2,950,000
Amount of Match: up to $9,165,132
Proposed Private Sector Partners: SUNRISE Renewables; Bayer Cropscience; Northwood Mills; Kadrmas, Lee, and Jackson; and Global Agricultural Solutions
Proposed Job Creation: 50 direct and 320 indirect
Center Designation: Commercialization
Summary: The purpose of SUNRISE is to invent, develop, and commercialize green industrial chemicals, polymers, and fiber composites utilizing crop oils as the primary raw material feedstock. The mission of SUNRISE is to 1) conduct research that contributes to solving complex energy-related problems, 2) investigate the development and improvement of sustainable source options to fuels, chemicals and polymers currently produced from fossil fuels, leading towards economic development and job creation for North Dakota, 3) increase UND and NDSU research competitiveness in sustainable source technologies, 4) and produce graduates to develop and promote sustainable source production in North Dakota, the region, and the nation, all within a unified, interdisciplinary program that translates fundamental research into commercial solutions.
- UND – Petroleum Research, Education, and Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence
Amount Recommended: $3,000,000
Amount of Match: up to $7,958,373
Proposed Private Sector Partners: Schlumberger, IHS, American Petroleum Institute, Five ND petroleum operators: Encore Acquisition Company, Hess Corporation, Marathon Oil Corporation , St. Mary Land & Exploration Co., Whiting Petroleum Corporation.
Proposed Job Creation: 100+
Center Designation: Infrastructure
Summary: The mission of the Petroleum Research, Education, and Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence is to: 1) improve our understanding of the geology, geophysics, and petroleum engineering characteristics of the Williston Basin, with special attention to the Bakken Formation, 2) develop enhanced oil recovery techniques for the entire Williston Basin, with focus on the Bakken Formation, 3) develop techniques for CO2 sequestration in the Williston Basin, 4) develop engineering enhanced geothermal systems using oil field waters to generate electrical power, 5) address environmental and policy issues of petroleum exploration and production, and 6) help entrepreneurs develop new businesses and industry.
- UND – Center of Excellence in Space Technology and Operations
Amount Recommended: $1,000,000
Amount of Match: up to $4,776,391
Proposed Private Sector Partners: GeoOptics LLC and Broad-Reach Engineering
Proposed Job Creation: 25, growing to 40
Center Designation: Commercialization
Summary: The Center of Excellence in Space Technology and Operations will (1) bring to North Dakota an aerospace company, GeoOptics LLC, which will create 25 new high-value jobs within the first 5 years, growing to 40 by 8 years; (2) significantly expand one of North Dakota's targeted areas of economic development – Aerospace – such that spacecraft operations can become a major area of future growth; (3) conduct research, using a fundamentally new source of date about atmospheric conditions, to improve weather forecasts and increase the competitiveness of North Dakota universities for funding opportunities; and (4) extend important benefits to people of the region and to society in general.
- Minot State University Bottineau – Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture
Amount Recommended: $400,000
Amount of Match: up to $830,854
Proposed Private Sector Partners: North Star Organic Farm, North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association
Proposed Job Creation: 100
Center Designation: Commercialization
Summary: The Entrepreneurship Center for Horticulture will: 1) provide research and demonstration of high-skilled production methods; 2) expand and provide new opportunities for product commercialization and distribution networks in North Dakota and the region; and 2) provide the technology transfer necessary to make these business opportunities flourish.
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