Resources

 
Iowa State University, located just 15 minutes from Nevada, offers a multitude of resource and research opportunities for companies locating in Nevada.

Key research areas include: BioEconomy - research for tomorrow where the basic building blocks for producing industrial and consumer goods, chemicals, fuels and energy come from biorenewable resources; Plant Sciences - The Plant Sciences Institute with expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, plant transformation and biotechnology risk assessment; Animal Sciences - expertise in animal nutrition, muscle metabolism, veterinary diagonstics, and The Center for Integrated Animal Genomics; Food Sciences - expertise in nutrition, nutraceuticals, and the Institute for Food Safety and Security; and Instrumentation Facilities - 25 state-of-the-art facilities available to university and industry scientists.

• ISU Plant Sciences Institute
  The Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State University has become one of the world's preeminent plant science research organizations. More than 200 scientists conduct research that will help feed the growing world population, enrich human health and nutrition, improve crop quality and yield, foster environmental sustainability and expand the uses of plants for food and energy. The institute helps train students for careers of the future.
• Technology Transfer
  The ISU Research Foundation (ISURF) is the nation's second oldest technology transfer office and consistently ranks in the top three in terms of licenses and options executed on its technology. ISURF is experienced in working with both existing and start-up companies. Their flexible approach includes the option to take equity in a start-up company.
• Instrumentation Facilities
  An important resource for all technology based companies is access to equipment. ISU has more than 20 centralized facilities containing state-of-the-art equipment that can be accessed on a fee-for-service and/or user fee basis by industry personnel. The Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC) contains a six-sided virtual reality environment available for research collaboration efforts.
• Pilot Facilities
  The Biomass Energy Conversion Center (BECON), located in Nevada, utilizes several biomass conversion systems. The Center for Crops Utilization Research contains pilot scale processing, product development and testing equipment for food and non food items. Private laboratory space is available for companies working on projects in this center. The Biologics Facility provides extraction and purification suites for production of high value proteins in plant or animal systems.
• Technical Assistance
  Technical assistance for start-up and established companies is available through several ISU units, including the Center for Industrial Research & Service (CIRAS), the Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT), and the Iowa Manufacturing Extension Partnership (IMEP). These units provide assistance in solving manufacturing problems, prototype development, and matching company research needs with faculty expertise.

BECON - Providing credible, first hand information of renewable, biomass-based chemicals and fuels, the Iowa Energy Center's Biomass Energy Conversion (BECON) facility is located in Nevada's West Industrial Park. The center houses the state's most innovative and collaborative biomass projects. In 2001, President Bush visited the center and delivered an important energy speech.

BECON has established a platform for researches and educators to turn promising ideas into functioning commercial -scale bio mass conversion units. The processes at BECON include supercritical fluids, alcohol fermentation, anaerobic digestion, thermal gasification, pyrolysis and biodiesel.

The Iowa Energy Center has partnered with Mid-States Biodiesel and Superior Process Technologies to upgrade the BECON biodiesel pilot-plant. The biodiesel unit is a continuous throughput plant that accommodates multiple feedstocks, uses state-of-the-art controls for research in the waste-to-biodiesel process, and will ultimately establish a biodiesel training program with Iowa's colleges and universities.

The Iowa Energy Center is a research, education and demonstration organization dedicated to improving Iowa's economy and environment by advancing Iowa's energy efficiency and renewable energy use. BECON is open to researchers from all of Iowa's universities, colleges and community colleges, private non-profit organizations and their research partners from the private sector.

Lincolnway Energy - Lincolnway Energy, LLC, currently under construction in Nevada, Iowa's Lincolnway Corridor Industrial Park, was formed for the purpose of constructing, owning and operating a dry mill fuel ethanol plant.

Lincolnway Energy Board of Directors determined that the production facility be designed for 50 million gallon annual capacity and that coal should replace natural gas as the plant's primary power source.

Lincolnway Energy will be one of the first plants to utilize clean coal burning technology as an alternative fuel in Iowa.  The company's mission is to provide renewable energy, maintain a safe and rewarding place to work and maximize shareholder value.

William Couser, Board President, said "The Board is proud of their efforts, the support of the citizens of the State of Iowa, and the construction progress that has been made to date. All of this would not have been possible without the assistance of the Nevada Economic Development Council. Their efforts, in conjunction with the City of Nevada, have assisted in putting this project and future projects at the forefront of bioenergy technology."

Lincolnway Energy fully supports Nevada's recruitment of additional bio industries and encourages and will work with other bio industries to locate near their facility.

Transportation
Located on 4-lane U.S. Highway 30 and 5 miles from Interstate 35, Nevada is centrally located for distribution and receipt of product.

Driving Distances to major markets:

• Des Moines - 38 miles
• Kansas City - 235 miles
• Minneapolis - 210 miles
• Omaha - 170 miles
• Chicago - 315 miles

Click here to see driving directions from various locations.