Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor

The Intermountain-west Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Tech Hub, led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium, addresses the urgent need to advance U.S. leadership in small modular reactors (SMR) and advanced nuclear energy. By leveraging Idaho and Wyoming’s existing nuclear manufacturing infrastructure and expertise, the Tech Hub aims to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear reactors and enhance U.S. energy security. The INEC Tech Hub will establish co-location hubs, incubators, and testbeds for nuclear start-ups, develop domestic nuclear fuel fabrication capabilities, and create workforce development programs to support the nuclear sector. Through these initiatives, the Tech Hub seeks to shorten reactor deployment timelines and position the region as a global leader in the growing SMR market.

- $680M in co-investment will be sparked by the EDA investment for infrastructure upgrades, workforce development, and entrepreneurial activities.
- 17,421 liters will be the expanded fermentation capacity at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab (IBRL), tripling its support capacity to assess the commercialization potential of 60 technologies annually.
- $1.4B in venture funds has been raised by over 350 companies nurtured by the University of Illinois Research Park's EnterpriseWorks incubator.