Executive Summary The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) is a system of connected university-community-industry-based hubs throughout the state that will work together to drive innovation along with economic and workforce development across Illinois Hubs will utilize a combination of research, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship and workforce training programs to spur economic development in their region and across the state On January 24, 2019, representatives from the twelve four-year public universities (including regional satellite campuses of the University of Illinois) and the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) met at Innovate Springfield, the home of the IIN Hub led by UIS The meeting included discussion of the official formation and launch of the IIN, as well as topics including IIN governance structures, opportunities for hub collaborations, funding needs and opportunities, and initial activities of the IIN Key outcomes of the meeting included an agreed upon initial governance structure for the IIN including the formation of the IIN Council and an initial set of working groups Follow-up for the meeting includes a joint press release announcing the launch of the IIN, scheduling the first meeting of the IIN council, and population of the working groups A complete account of the meeting is available on request i Main Discussions Welcome and introductory remarks • • • Welcome • Ed Seidel, University of Illinois System Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, welcomed leaders from all 12 of Illinois’ public universities, Rockford, Peoria, and the Discovery Partners Institute, to the IIN meeting on Jan 24, 2019 • Bruce Sommer, Director of Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Illinois Springfield, welcomed the group to Innovate Springfield in the state capital • A video message was played with Governor JB Pritzker welcoming the group, encouraging them in the formation of IIN and stating his support for the IIN initiative Dr Seidel stated the four goals of the meeting: • Agree to a set of overall IIN goals and an initial governance structure • Discuss some potential examples of collaboration and early activities • Start planning long-term IIN activities • Agree to make an announcement that IIN has launched Dr Seidel reviewed principles of the IIN that the group discussed in November: • Drive innovation, workforce development and economic growth throughout Illinois • Assess and meet the needs of your region through a combination of collaborative research, public-private partnerships, and entrepreneurship and training programs • Collaborate with hubs across the state and share best practices • Advocate for the value of higher education at the state and national levels Dr Seidel gave a short update on draft proposals that many of the hubs have submitted as part of the process to access some of the $500 million in state capital funding through the DPI-IIN appropriation • • $35 million of the $500 million has been allocated for development of IIN hubs So far, the proposals have requested more than $70 million, which has pushed IIN leadership to consider additional funding options There is support for the idea of another state appropriation request for capital and operating funds for IIN along with seeking funds from other sources IIN ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE • • An interim governance structure was discussed and agreed upon • Establish an IIN Council with a member from each hub; the U of I System VPEDI will chair A schedule of meetings and a structure for advisory groups was discussed and agreed to • A Memorandum of Understanding for each university will formalize IIN membership • Leaders from Northern Illinois University (VP for Research Gerald Blazey), Peoria (OSF HealthCare VP for Economic Development Ryan Spain) and Springfield (Sommer) shared their hub governance structure as examples The group discussed the potential synergies between IIN hubs and the federal opportunity zone designations, which include a number of IIN institutions or areas near their campuses POTENTIAL WAYS TO COLLABORATE • • • • • Ben Taylor, assistant director in the UI System VPEDI office, led a discussion of the Illinois Prosper legislation that the UI is drafting and that leaders from all public state universities are supporting Sen Andy Manar has agreed to sponsor the bill o The draft bill would provide 10 years of tax abatements for any companies that relocate or expand near IIN hubs, allowing them and any employees who are designated as net new jobs to avoid paying state taxes for 10 years Pradeep Khanna, UI System Interim Associate VP for Corporate & International Relations, proposed some ways IIN members might more effectively work with corporate partners, including creating a corporate engagement portal to align companies and faculty, standardizing corporate agreements, and exploring talent development and apprenticeship programs Kandace Turner, assistant director in the UI System VPEDI office, talked about the value and importance of collaborating with University of Illinois Extension and Dr Sheila Quirk-Bailey, president of Illinois Central College, talked about the added value local community colleges can provide Joe Rives, Western Illinois University Senior VP for Strategic Initiatives, brought up the idea of documenting existing partnerships, resource needs and resources that could be shared among the universities at the table Rives also discussed the idea of cooperative education – alternative semesters of on-campus study with semesters of full-time employment – across the IIN and possibly developing academic programs together PROPOSED INITIAL ACTIVITIES The group discussed potential activities that could be held this calendar year, including • Opening up Forge, a student-run entrepreneurship program in November, to include students from IIN member institutions • Utilizing the Illinois University Incubator Network • Boot camps focused on artificial intelligence, data science, entrepreneurship, or some other topic for university students or local high school students • Collaborative courses taught at one institution and offered to students at other universities IIN WORKING GROUPS The IIN will launch working groups focused around these topics: • Education & Workforce Development • Entrepreneurship & Corporate Engagement • Funding & Government Relations • Research Collaborations & Technology Transfer NEXT STEPS AND WRAP-UP • • • • Draft an MOU for review and approval by each potential hub Issue a joint press release announcing all institutions as members of the IIN Schedule first IIN Council meeting and next All Hands meeting Form working groups in the four areas listed above by the next all-hands meeting in April Meeting Attendees Name Dr Leslie Roundtree Mr Ryan Green Val Yazell Mayor Jim Langfelder Dr William Sanders Dr Ryan Hendrickson Dr Jun Zhao Mr Chris Setti Dr Sheila Quirk-Bailey Mr Cory Abernathy Dr John Baur Mr Eric Berglund Dr Michael Bedell Dr Jerry Blazey Mr Kip McCoy Mr Ryan Spain Ms Karen Midden Dr Kyle Harfst Dr Matt McCarroll Dr Denise Cobb Mr Rob Patinio Ms Teresa Johnston Dr TJ Augustine Mr Bruce Sommer Dr Keenan Dungey Ms Laura Frerichs Dr Melanie Loots Mr Noah Isserman Mr Pradeep Khanna Dr Susan Martinis Mr Manu Edakara Mr Ben Taylor Dr Ed Seidel Ms Kandace Turner Ms Kristin Roadman Ms Lori Pflugmacher Ms Jennifer Creasey Mr Nate Hoffman Dr Chris Merrett Ms Jill Marshall Dr Joe Rives Ms Shannon Sutton Italics = invited guest Institution Chicago State University Chicago State University City of Springfield City of Springfield Discovery Partners Institute Eastern Illinois University Governors State University Greater Peoria Economic Development Council Illinois Central College Illinois State University Illinois State University Lincoln Land Economic Development Corporation Northeastern Illinois University Northern Illinois University OSF Healthcare OSF Healthcare Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University School of Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Springfield University of Illinois at Springfield University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois System University of Illinois System University of Illinois System University of Illinois System University of Illinois System University of Illinois System University of Illinois System Western Illinois University Western Illinois University Western Illinois University Western Illinois University