The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has recognized two Illinois programs for inclusion in their 31 inaugural Tech Hubs. The Bloch: End-to-end Quantum Solutions at Scale from Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Central Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Hub from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were selected out of 198 competing applicants, showing the prowess of Illinois's innovative capabilities.
As reported by Fox Illinois, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), with support from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, campaigned for the inclusion of these programs, indicating the effectiveness of cross-sector cooperation, government backing, and strategic planning at state and local levels for innovation, investment, and job creation in Illinois.
Illinois's economically diverse environment and firm commitment to research and development, are major contributors to the state's successful landing of two spots among the Tech Hubs. Besides benefiting from the Tech Hub designation, Illinois, with its notable presence in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and technology, also has the potential to shape the development and direction of technological growth and innovation.
Under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the Tech Hubs Program was initiated. It dedicates $10 billion for funding over the next five years, with the aim to significantly invest in regions having the potential to become innovation centers of global competitiveness. This involves collaboration between industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners to drive technological advancements and foster the creation of good-paying jobs.
WAND-TV reveals that both the programs can now apply for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program. This will allow each of the 5-10 designated hubs to secure investments between $50 and $75 million in value. This federal support is set to enhance the state’s reputation as a center for innovation, pointing to a brighter, more sustainable future for the economic climate of Illinois.
The iFAB Hub and The Bloch project are leading the way in their corresponding fields. The iFAB Hub, spearheaded by the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, collaborates with over 30 partners across Central Illinois’s key academia, industry, and government organizations to answer the rising demand for fermentation in biomanufacturing. The Bloch project, on the other hand, is seeking to promote regional adoption of quantum information science and technology (QIST) across various industries, potentially generating about $8.7 billion in annual economic output and creating up to 8,000 high-paying jobs by 2035.
