IDAHO FALLS The Future Tech Building, now under construction on the north side of the Idaho Falls campus, has been given an official name by the College of Eastern Idaho.
In collaboration with Battelle Energy Alliance and Frontier Credit Union, the new structure will be known as the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building. A 4,087-square-foot conference room that will be utilized for community events and lectures will be named by Frontier Credit Union.
During a community revealing ceremony on Thursday afternoon, CEI made this announcement. It follows BEA’s $4.5 million pledge, which increased its original construction donation of $1 million. The project received $3.5 million from Frontier Credit Union.
CEI President Lori Barber called this alliance a unique convergence of opportunity, timing, and ambition during its unveiling on Thursday.
This amazing structure is a true example of what happens when people band together for a common goal. According to Barber, it is the outcome of a collaboration that will transform lives for many years to come. We at CEI are all incredibly thrilled to be a part of this collaboration.
College of Eastern Idaho | Future Tech Construction
In August of last year, CEI began construction on the facility. The two-story structure will host STEM and IT programs, as well as courses pertaining to energy, innovation, and technology, including cybersecurity and mechatronics. The structure will have classrooms, a conference center, field testing labs, a huge gathering place for civic and corporate events, student group projects, and bay space.
RELATED | The countdown is on! The new Future Tech building at CEI is starting to take shape.
The project will cost roughly $50 million in total. Approximately $32 million of that sum is being paid for by taxpayers. The remaining funds are derived from private sector grants and donations.
The structure is expected to be finished in the autumn of 2026.
Idaho National Laboratory is one of eight national laboratories run by BEA, which has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. The executive vice president of Battelle’s laboratory operations, Juan Alvarez, told the audience on Thursday that the company’s founding in 1929 served as the impetus for the donation.
In his will, industrialist Gordon Battelle, the founder of BEA, stipulated that a research center would be housed on his land.
(BEA) was more than merely conducting research for the good of society. It was fundamentally about education as well. “The idea of that legacy investment and where we can have a big impact was always there when we came out here to Idaho,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez is overjoyed that CEI was chosen by the company as the location to train the workforce of the future.
This community is incredible. “This opportunity to develop our future talent will be extremely beneficial to you,” he continues.
Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com | Juan Alvarez in the pulpit during his speech to Thursday’s crowd
John Wagner, Director of the INL, agrees. He stated in his speech that the work being done by INL has never been more significant and that the lab’s future success depends on having a skilled team.
According to Wagner, our country is confronted with unprecedented energy and energy security issues. To succeed, we need talented individuals who are motivated to change the world. That is precisely the goal of the Future Tech Building’s vision.
Frontier Credit Union will create a STEM scholarship program for CEI students as a result of this collaboration. The scholarship will be directly funded by co-branded credit and debit cards with the school.
In his remarks, Dan Thurman, the CEO of the credit union, described how it operates.
According to Thurman, a percentage of each purchase made with one of these cards will be utilized to support the students’ scholarships. By working together, we are creating better communities, better lives, and a brighter future for Idaho.
