Facility supports collaboration, innovation

PEORIA, Ill. — Tours of the Peoria Next Innovation Center kicked off the premier Soybean Innovation Center SpringBoard Challenge.

After the tour, the Illinois Soybean Association event April 15-16 convened at Distillery Labs, uniting researchers, industry leaders and investors to spark innovation in non-food products and bio-based materials derived from soybeans and other crops.

The gathering was designed to fuel collaboration, accelerate commercialization and expand market opportunities for ag-based products.

The two-day event concluded with a tour of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research.

Innovation Center

Since 2007, the Peoria Next Innovation Center has been a business incubator for startup companies. The facility is designed to meet the needs of expanding businesses and offer private office spaces and large office spaces.

The center also features research laboratories which are the only wet labs for supporting startups in a 90-mile radius of Peoria. Research conducted at the laboratories includes new uses for soybeans.

Chris Youngmark, Peoria Next Innovation Center director, led the tours.

“We’re part of Bradley University and part of the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at the university,” Youngmark said.

“The Turner Center also includes the Small Business Development Center, the International Trade Center, as well as the Apex Accelerator, which is focused on government contracts and business certifications.”

Forward-Thinking

The facility is the result of community collaboration to support what was a forethought in innovation, technology and commercialization of research.

“It was a very forward-thinking opportunity, and as for the building, there was really nothing else like it in Peoria — certainly not at that time, but we’re still holding our own as far as usefulness and having a practical, nice facility,” Youngmark said.

“Again, we are part of the university. Historically, we’ve posted over 70 tenants here. We currently have over 25. That’s a mix of permanent residents, folks who need either a lab or an office space, but we also include coworking opportunities here.

“As an affiliate member, you can get your first start, get a mailbox, have the access to the building, for meetings.”

Youngmark also had entrepreneurial experience personally in his role as owner of The Farm Sitter, also housed in the innovation center.

Bioprocessing

New uses for soybeans and other products are studied at the Midwest Bioprocessing Center. The wet lab is located on the second floor of the innovation center.

The MBC is a start-up biotechnology company formed in 2019 to bring important new bio-based technologies to market for human health nutrition and personal care.

The facilities are used to carry out enzyme biocatalysis, fermentation, chemical synthesis and product purification for its own use and on behalf of its clients.

MBC’s proprietary brands include the zuCarb Rare sugar platform, the ThermoCat stable biocatalysts and the iActive FeruliShield Feruloyl Glycerides for personal care.

The company’s proprietary enzyme and fermentation technology platform allows production and modification of carbohydrates, glycochemicals and lipids that would otherwise be impractical or impossible to make.