Harnessing Postdoc STEM Talent to Strengthen Illinois’ Innovation Ecosystem

Harnessing Postdoc STEM Talent to Strengthen Illinois’ Innovation Ecosystem

By Kristene Henne, Postdoctoral Program Lead, Leadership Institute, Argonne National Laboratory   The Illinois Innovation Index STEM Talent report released earlier this month highlighted the growth of Illinois’ production of degrees in STEM fields and specifically called out the state’s concentration of postdoctoral researchers as a key strength for the innovation economy. Indeed, postdocs represent some […]

E-Mentoring: A New Model for STEM Education

E-Mentoring: A New Model for STEM Education

By Allie Barwise, Managing Director and Emily Cooper, Director of Programs, Illinois Science and Technology Institute   By 2018, it is expected that Illinois will demand 319,820 STEM jobs, and 93 percent of those jobs will require some sort of post-secondary education and training. In 2014, Illinois universities produced approximately 35,000 graduates with STEM degrees […]

Promoting Innovation in Financial Technology through Cross-Sector Initiatives

Promoting Innovation in Financial Technology through Cross-Sector Initiatives

By Rumi Morales, Executive Director, CME   According to a recent report by Accenture, global investment in financial technology (fintech) companies grew by 200% from 2013 to 2014 to $12 billion, compared to 63% overall venture capital growth.  Expectations are for this rapid ascent to continue through 2015, especially in booming areas like digital currency technology […]

Making the Future: How Incubators Are Driving a New Era of Hardware Innovation and Manufacturing in Illinois

Making the Future: How Incubators Are Driving a New Era of Hardware Innovation and Manufacturing in Illinois

By Jeffrey Margolis, Managing Director, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition Haven Allen, Manufacturing Strategy Manager, World Business Chicago   Illinois has a strong legacy as a state of makers and builders. Product development and manufacturing that advance key industries have been a crux of Illinois’ economy from the advent of the assembly line. More recently, Illinois has been […]

Illinois Medical District: Bringing the Benefits of Biomedical Research to Patients and Advancing Chicago’s Life Sciences Ecosystem

Illinois Medical District: Bringing the Benefits of Biomedical Research to Patients and Advancing Chicago’s Life Sciences Ecosystem

By Warren Ribley, Executive Director, Illinois Medical District Commission In the recently published Science and Technology Roadmap, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition identified biomedical research as Illinois’ fastest growing research field and one of the State’s emerging technology clusters. The impact of Illinois’ academic research in disciplines such as biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, immunology […]