Area Development
The U.S. Department of Energy will invest more than $550 million to create a research facility at Michigan State University (MSU), according to the Michigan governor's office. The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) will be constructed over the next 10 years and bring 5,800 design and construction jobs to the state. Upon completion, the laboratory will employ at least 300 scientists and staff, along with 220 additional spinoff jobs. The Detroit Free Press reports that an independent analysis shows a potential for $1 billion in economic activity to the state. The FRIB will provide research into aspects of nuclear physics that could provide breakthrough discoveries in energy, medicine, national defense, and the environment. MSU competed for the project with Illinois' Argonne National Laboratory.