Otter unveils ‘IGEM’ program: What it is…

The governor is unveiling his new “IGEM” jobs initiative, which stands for Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission. It’s a $5 million program that includes permanent, ongoing state funding for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, or CAES, at $2 million within the higher ed budget; another $2 million for new research initiatives at Idaho universities, also in the higher ed budget; and $1 million in the state Commerce Department budget for grants or loans to companies to help bring those research initiatives to market. Professors at the universities would partner with companies in their research, with the idea that the end result will be new “knowledge-based economy jobs.”

Said Otter, “Our agriculture industry has had similar programs in place for years. We’re just perfecting it for our universities, our communities, and more of our Idaho businesses.”