When it comes to growing business markets and building an economic development-focused foundation to power industries of the future, the Gem State sparkles. Three bright spots demonstrate how.
Boise’s Semiconductor Ecosystem
In February 2026, Lam Research opened its new 9,200-sq.-ft. R&D and high-tech manufacturing facility in Boise, the third site run by the company in Idaho. The California-based supplier builds machinery and tools needed to produce microchips and semiconductors and also supports Micron’s memory technology development and manufacturing expansion in the state.
“Having local presence enables closer collaboration and faster, on-site problem-solving as we tackle increasingly complex challenges driven by AI,” writes Lam Research North America Regional Vice President Dinesh Kalakkad about the partnership with Micron. “More broadly, Lam Research technologies and manufacturing equipment are used by semiconductor manufacturers around the world to produce nearly every advanced chip in use today.”
Micron’s $50 billion expansion of its headquarters, chip fabrication plants and testing facilities in Boise is currently underway, including the construction of a fab that will have a 600,000-sq.-ft. cleanroom. Backed by funding from the CHIPS Act, the project is expected to have two fabs when completed, with equipment being placed onsite in 2026 and wafer production targeted for 2027.
Lam Research has advanced deposition and etch equipment that allows customers to make smaller, taller and higher performing chips to power everything from AI to smart phones to automotive systems and data centers.
“Idaho is home to one of the world’s most important memory manufacturing hubs,” says Kalakkad. “Placing engineering and support teams near customer fabs enables Lam to accelerate collaboration, cut response times and push technology development forward. Boise also builds on Lam’s more than 30-year presence in the community and provides access to strong partnerships with local academic institutions, industry organizations and community groups. As semiconductor manufacturing grows across the United States, Boise gives Lam a strategic foothold to support customer growth and contribute to the region’s expanding innovation ecosystem.”
Engineering New Business
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), headquartered in Pullman, Washington, designs and manufactures equipment for the electric power industry. The manufacturer broke ground on a $50 million expansion near Moscow, Idaho, in July 2026, adding to SEL’s existing Schartz Campus located on U.S. Highway 95. The company makes printed circuit boards and other electronic devices at the site. Last year, SEL announced it would purchase and remodel a 170,000-sq.-ft. building in Boise to the tune of $25 million. Both investments mean local growth with global impact.
“Moscow and Boise are great places for SEL to grow because they combine a talented workforce, strong infrastructure, a favorable business climate and an excellent quality of life,” says SEL President Dave Whitehead. “Idaho consistently performs well in areas that matter to companies like ours, including government efficiency, regulatory freedom and energy resiliency. In fact, those are the same factors we measure in the SEL Index of Freedom, our annual assessment of the business climate in all 50 states.”
According to the SEL Index of Freedom, the highest-ranking states for 2025 were South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and North Dakota, in that order, for their demonstrated performance in energy reliability, streamlined governance and innovation-supporting regulatory environments.
Whitehead explains that SEL’s growth in Moscow is a natural extension of its presence in Palouse, and close proximity to the company’s Pullman headquarters means access to a strong talent pool.
“New products designed in Boise may eventually be manufactured in Lewiston and Moscow, then later installed and supported in the field by teams in Boise,” says Whitehead, adding that these investments are geared toward positioning SEL for long-term growth while straying true to the company’s identity.
“We’ve always been committed to designing and manufacturing our products in the United States, and expanding in Moscow and Boise helps us continue doing that as demand for our technologies grows around the world,” he says. “The investments also reflect our commitment to the people who make our success possible — our customers, employee-owners and the communities where we operate. By continuing to invest for the long term, we can keep innovating and advancing our mission to make electric power safer, more reliable and more economical.”
Elevating Startups
Teresa McKnight is CEO of the Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI), which operates as a regional economic engine across 16 counties and 31 cities.
“We use a data-driven, partnership-based approach to ensure that new and existing businesses have the resources that they need to build or expand,” says McKnight, pointing to REDI’s most successful program cultivating the region’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem — Elevate Idaho. “We’re excited because REDI launched and is leading the Elevate Idaho program, which is a statewide initiative that supports entrepreneurship and those that are pursuing federal SBIR and STTR funding,” she says.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs comprise over $4 billion in federal funding for small businesses to investigate new technologies for commercialization by partnering with research institutions. Idaho saw 17 SBIR- and STTR-funded grants over a three-year period from 2017 through 2019 that brought in about $5.1 million.
“We pulled together a statewide program of innovators, networkers and mentors, people that could support entrepreneurs pursuing these grants,” says Knight. “We launched Elevate Idaho in 2020 as a pilot program and started counting our numbers. From 2021 to 2025, we’ve already surpassed our goal. We have 91 funded grants, bringing in $95.1 million to the state of Idaho. We’ve quadrupled by forming this program and bringing partners together that knew the need for growing entrepreneurship and innovation in our state.”
McKnight says the program “really closes Idaho’s innovation gap. Before Elevate Idaho, we ranked last among the Rocky States. We’re really proud of what’s come together and to see the growth in entrepreneurship and technologies from cutting-edge companies. We’re creating new companies across the state of Idaho, and we’re creating high-tech jobs that are paying medium to high salary ranges. That’s a big win for Idaho.”
Read more from Teresa McKnight, CEO at Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI), on what the Gem State has to offer companies looking to grow.
