The Nebraska Innovation Hub Act

The Nebraska Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, Legislative Bill 450 during the 2022 Legislative Session creating the Nebraska Innovation Hub Act.  The Legislature declared that Innovation hubs could serve as a vital resource for stimulating and supporting entrepreneurship and technology-based small businesses in Nebraska.  The Nebraska Innovation Hub Act selected the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) to designate innovation hubs within iHub areas to stimulate partnerships economic development and job creation by leveraging iHub partner assets to provide an innovation platform for startup businesses, economic development organizations, business groups, and venture capitalists. 

District 1: Fermentation Collaborative

Location: 801 R Street, Lincoln, NE 68508
Focus: The Fermentation Collaborative seeks to improve the workforce for biotechnology in Nebraska by addressing the need for employees with fermentation experience.

District 2: Omaha Innovation Hub

Location: 2514 N. 16th Street, Omaha, NE 68110 & 5417 N. 103rd Street, Omaha , NE 68134
Focus: The Omaha Innovation HUB assists in the identification, integration, and assessment of innovative concepts and emerging and enabling technologies and capabilities in support of local universities, colleges, entrepreneurs and the North Omaha community.

District 2: The Julian and Brittany Young iHub

Location: 6825 Pine Street, Omaha, NE 68106
Focus:  The Julian and Brittany Young iHub mission is to inspire economic well-being through entrepreneurial action, advocacy, and education.

Job creation through rapid technology commercialization is a vital part of the state’s economic well-being.  Innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurial activity coupled with venture investment creates small business startups and expansions at an accelerated rate, which leads to significant employment opportunities that contribute to the state’s financial health and economic competitiveness.  To maintain a healthy state economy and to aid communities, entrepreneurship and technology-based small businesses must be stimulated and supported.  The Nebraska Innovation Hub Act seeks to:

1. Stimulate partnerships, economic development, and job creation, and support entrepreneurship and technology-based small businesses in Nebraska.
2. Accelerate entrepreneurial activity coupled with venture investment.
3. Increase employment opportunities with start-ups and technology-based small businesses.

Eligible applicants are private nonprofit corporations located within any of the following areas:

1. An economic redevelopment area. (A map showing economic redevelopment areas can be found at Application Levels – imagine.nebraska.gov)
2. An enterprise zone designated pursuant to the Enterprise Zone Act. (A map showing Enterprise Zones can be found at Nebraska Enterprise Zones)
3. An inland port district as defined in section 13-3303. (Locations in Lincoln County, Bellevue, Omaha, Fremont/Dodge County, and South Sioux City)
4. Thirty miles of Lake McConaughy, the largest artificial reservoir constructed in Nebraska for the storage of water.
5. Any county with a population of less than one hundred thousand inhabitants.

An iHub shall form a collaborative relationship, through a signed statement of cooperation, with at least three iHub partners. An iHub partner may be any of the following:

1. A postsecondary educational institution.
2. A bank or other financial institution.
3. A municipal economic development division or department.
4. A nonprofit economic development corporation
5. A federal government entity or agency focused on economic development
6. An inland port authority created pursuant to the Municipal Inland Port Authority Act
7. A business support organization, including a workforce development or training organization, an incubator or a business accelerator, a business technical assistance provider, a chamber of commerce, or a networking organization that supports innovation
8. An educational consortium, including technology transfer representatives
9. A venture capital network, including angel investors
10. A business foundation, innovation foundation, science foundation, laboratory research institution, federal laboratory, or research and development facility.

The department may allow an entity not listed in of this section to serve as an iHub partner if the DED finds that such entity is related to the goals of the iHub.

• Nebraska Innovation Hub Act Designation Application and Program Guidelines