< Previous48 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 Technical College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Suffolk College in Selden, New York; Dakota County Technical College in St. Paul, Minnesota; Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania; Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario; Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. Over 30 community colleges now participate in the program, each receiving an initial $100,000 in grant funding or in- kind donations, which can be renewed each year if eligible. This funding can be used to provide scholarships, hire new staff, create new curriculum and for various marketing or recruitment purposes. In addition, the company allows its employees to serve as mentors to students in their respective communities, sharing advice and sharpening skills students can carry into an internship or full-time role with Johnson Controls. Kennedy-King College was part of the program’s first cohort (2021-2022) and, to date, has received $373,000 in funding and $101,000 worth of in-kind equipment from Johnson Controls. At a recent partnership showcase at the college in June, the Chicago community was invited to learn how the duo are enhancing the college’s HVAC program, which featured a facility tour and live skills demonstration. “My long-term goal is to become a licensed technician and one day start my own service company,” said current Kennedy-King HVAC student Michael Whiting at the event. “What I’m learning in this program is going to help me get there. I’m especially interested in emerging smart HVAC technologies and being able to work with Johnson Controls techs, currently in the field, has been important in learning how that tech is being used today. I’m excited about the career ahead of me.” ELI LILLY AND COMPANY A month prior to global pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company injecting a $5.3 billion investment increase into the company’s planned $3.7 billion Lebanon, Indiana, expansion project, activity at the Biopharma Science and Technology Lab at Ivy Tech’s Indianapolis campus officially ramped up. The fresh lab space, located just over 30 minutes from Lilly’s active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing site, features 4,000 sq. ft. full of equipment and technology typically found at production sites. Students can now interact and observe how Lilly’s manufacturing processes work — ranging from cell cultivation to quality control —while building new skills that carry into high- quality roles. “Lilly’s contribution to Ivy Tech allows us to expand and enhance education and training opportunities at Indiana’s largest postsecondary institution while nurturing a strong pipeline of local talent that will fill the competitive and in-demand jobs being created by Lilly,” said Eli Lilly and Company EVP and President of Manufacturing Edgardo Hernandez. “Together, we’re shaping the future of the biopharmaceutical industry and Indiana’s economy.” Aside from nurturing a robust talent pipeline, Lilly additionally looks to enhance its innovation activity in the state. In December 2024, Ivy Tech and the 16 Tech Community Corporation announced the Ivy Tech Manufacturing Innovation Center was officially open. The 4,700-sq.-ft. biopharmaceutical training center provides companies like Lilly room to explore digital transformations and new advanced technologies, and to support budding entrepreneurship. The center has also become a learning hub for Lilly Scholars, who are Ivy Tech students pursuing a pharmaceutical career. Lilly’s scholarship program works to cover tuition and supplies costs for Ivy Tech students, which can last up to eight semesters for Indiana residents interested in biotechnology, smart manufacturing or industrial tech. “This initiative not only bridges the gap between education and industry but also empowers students from diverse backgrounds to access high-quality, hands-on learning experiences that pave the way for successful, in-demand careers,” said Ivy Tech Indianapolis Chancellor Dr. Stacy Atkinson. In December 2024, Ivy Tech and 16 Tech Community Corporation opened the Biopharma Science and Technology Lab at Ivy Tech’s Indianapolis campus. Photo courtesy of Ivy Tech Community CollegeInspire nventions pioneered throughout the Great Lakes region have delivered pivotal chain reactions leading to how we experience everyday life around the globe. Enjoy checking your cell phone when you wake up? Motorola paved the way with the development of the world’s fi rst cell phone in Illinois. Is the route to and from work fi lled with other vehicles? Henry Ford’s invention of the modern automotive assembly line in Michigan revolutionized mass production. Is there a certain temperature you maintain in your home? at was made possible through the fi rst practical air conditioning system created in New York. e list goes on across the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces of the region — Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Ontario, and Quebec — where a curious entrepreneurial spirit continues to accelerate. A natural knack for driving local innovation, whose developments often fi nd a role on a greater global landscape, has garnered domestic and international interest in the research and development capabilities of Great Lakes talent for generations. One of the most benefi cial inventions of modern times is the development of dedicated innovation hubs built upon thriving local industry ecosystems. e combination of academia, industry expertise, skilled talent and regional or federal government support to align community resources has proved to be a gamechanger for new levels of collaboration and rising talent demand. GOING GREEN In the latest example taking place in New York, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and the Cambridge Innovation Center teamed up on a new consortium that will introduce “BATWorks,” a new climate innovation hub in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. Located at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the hub is preparing to become a one-stop-shop for startups, entrepreneurs and talent driving cleantech solutions. BATWorks is anticipated to play a key role in expanding New York City’s by ALEXIS ELMORE I INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 49 Inspire How to Local Innovative Talent Architects from Perkins & Will are behind the designs of BATWorks’ future co-working and incubation facilities. Rendering courtesy of Perkins & Willclimate tech ecosystem once fully operational in 2028. A smooth green economy transition is top of mind for the entire state, whose climate agenda outlines goals such as 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040; about 70% renewable energy generation by 2030; and carbon neutrality by 2050. To support the initiative, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is investing $100 million into the future facility, in addition to $450 million to modernize the historic campus and bring new leasable space online. This funding alone will aid in the creation of 600 jobs, support 150 startups and contribute a $2.6 billion economic impact. “The hub will offer specialized physical facilities such as prototyping spaces, laboratories and workspaces,” says NYCEDC Press Associate Kate Cerwin. “It will offer robust programming including opportunities for piloting, convenings, workforce training and business development services to accelerate both startup and incumbent climate innovation businesses.” Three key sector focus areas will be clean energy, zero-emissions transportation and buildings decarbonization. The 200,000-sq.- ft. facility will welcome emerging market innovators, small and medium-sized companies, and growth-stage and commercialization-stage companies to engage with fit-for-purpose space for product R&D, prototyping and piloting. Past these stages, BATWorks will help climate tech entrepreneurs and businesses navigate regulations and move forward with commercialization. Aside from supporting innovative climate programming at the hub, LACI has plans to establish its first innovation sandbox outside of Los Angeles to support its City Climate Innovation Challenge, designed for startups looking to pilot new technologies. In addition, LACI will lead a “Pilot at BAT Program,” allowing climate tech companies to come develop and test products in a live built environment beginning in 2026. “Emerging climate tech companies need to test, refine, de-risk and demonstrate their products for New York City’s complex urban environment,” says Cerwin. “BATWorks will support entrepreneurs and innovators in sectors such as transportation, energy and buildings to test and scale their technologies by operating the ‘Pilot at BAT’ program.” New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan estimates that the city’s green economy will hold 400,000 jobs by 2040. Local higher education institutions CUNY and NYU are set to help create programming for BATWorks and increase awareness of “green-collar” jobs coming down the pipeline. These programs will range from workforce development programs to startup services and various K-12 programming designed to connect industry and academic research in New York. STAYING AHEAD OF AI In Quebec, artificial intelligence has served as a key growth point since the early 1990s. It led to the development of Mila, an AI research institute located in Montreal, which has become one of the largest machine learning academic research centers in the world. University of Montreal AI researcher Yoshua Bengio in 1993 created a dedicated research lab for deep learning and machine learning exploration. This activity saw significant expansion in 2017, through collaborations with Quebec academic institutions McGill University, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal. That same year this formula was emulated in Ontario with the creation of the Vector Institute in Toronto. Now there are more than 1,400 students, researchers, professors, industry partners and entrepreneurs that frequent Mila in the pursuit of advancing technological innovation. Aside from the almost 120 industry partners that seek out Mila’s portfolio of expertise and local talent for AI solutions, the institute has served as the launchpad for nearly 40 new AI-focused startups. These homegrown companies span industries such as aerospace, health care, business and financial services, energy and forestry, to name a few. In July 2025, Mila launched a new partnership with Creative Destruction Lab Montreal and NEXT AI Montréal designed to unlock a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to tap into the trio’s resource tool belt. The AI Passport initiative aims to scale AI-focused entrepreneurship in the province, providing selected participants with an array of expertise, resources and access to activities available through these organizations. “The AI Passport represents a new way of collaborating to better support entrepreneurs who are building the future of artificial intelligence,” said NEXT AI Montreal Director Maud Razafindramboa. “It creates a unique continuum of resources for high-potential AI projects.” 50 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 51 egions across the globe are increasingly concerned about best practices for water usage as agricultural and industrial demand for this critical natural resource strains local supplies. Cooling the hundreds of data centers coming online is just one driver of the spike in demand for water. e Great Lakes region’s abundant water supply makes it an ideal laboratory for new and existing companies in water technology, aquaculture, marine energy and other fi elds doing work today that will benefi t locations claiming their place in the Blue Economy tomorrow. Resources for these companies, especially startups, also is in abundant supply. In December , genertor, a global venture firm and accelerator network, was one of four organizations awarded a total of $. million from the Department of Commerce and NOAA to support small businesses and entrepreneurs working on coastal resilience and other marine initiatives. Specifi cally, genertor was granted $. million to launch the Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator that will invest in startups over four years, providing each with $, in non-dilutive funding, according to a genertor statement. e startups will receive intensive mentorship, access to specialized testing facilities and connections to major industry partners throughout the region. ACCELERATING ECONOMIC GROWTH “ e Great Lakes represent both an economic engine and an irreplaceable environmental resource for our nation,” said Ryan Jeff ery, senior managing director of sustainability at genertor. “ e Great Lakes region alone generates over $ trillion in GDP and employs over million people. By investing in innovative startups developing critical new water technologies through this accelerator, we can boost GDP, create new jobs, and protect this essential freshwater system that sustains our industries, communities and ecosystems.” Also in , the Chicago-based water innovation hub Current was awarded up to $ million over years from the U.S. R How Startups Get Their BUSINESS INCUBATORS & ACCELERATORS by MARK AREND The DMZ Toronto technology incubator Photo courtesy of DMZ52 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 National Science Foundation to develop and grow a water-focused innovation engine in the Great Lakes region. According to Current, the funding will enable Great Lakes ReNEW, a six-state collaboration coordinated by Current in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago, to fulfill NSF’s mission of spurring economic growth in regions that have not fully participated in the technology boom of the past few decades. (For more, see p. 25 of this guide.) “Waste has no place in this world of increasing water and resource scarcity,” said Alaina Harkness, executive director of Current and principal investigator for Great Lakes ReNEW. “Our engine will find new ways to recover and reuse water, energy, nutrients, and critical materials from our water. These innovations will create economic opportunities for residents of our region; help strengthen our domestic supply chain for clean energy technologies; and address water quality and security issues around the world.” WHERE STARTUPS ARE FAST-TRACKED Accelerators in the Great Lakes region support much more than water-focused innovation. Entrepreneurs working in clean energy, agriculture, finance, technology, manufacturing and other industries all will find no shortage of resources for facilitating their business plans. Following are several examples of accelerators in the Great Lakes region with track records of putting startups on the fast track. • 1871 Innovation Hub, Chicago 1871.com Focus: Innovation hub for supporting early-stage, growth-stage, late-stage and corporate innovators. Offerings: Innovation Lab Communities for 11 industries, including supply chain, AI, FinTech, Climate Tech and others Assets: 1871 operates remotely. • DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University dmz.torontomu.ca Focu s: Tech incubator and startup ecosystem Offering s: Advisory services, investor access, networking, pre-incubator launch and sell program, incubator scale and fundraise program, specialized startup programs. Assets : Co-working space, a global network of hubs spanning more than a dozen countries. • Innovation Factory, Hamilton and Halton, Ontario innovationfactory.ca Focus: Technology innovation Offerings: Business advisory services, workshops, training programs and mentorship. Assets: Programs and services are primarily online and in person. GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 53 he undeniable economic influence of the Great Lakes— a regional spread of eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces— has been driven by its ability to naturally produce for generations. WHERE BUSINESS WORKS Copious natural resources found within rich mineral deposits, a diverse forest landscape and fruitful soil, largely bolstered by proximity to the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, scaled the nation’s once thriving Rust Belt reign. These same benefits stretch into Ontario and Quebec, provinces that are now home to more than 60% of Canada’s total population. Industrial growth saw mining, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation and health care industries thrive, while cultivating a prime trade corridor between the U.S. and Canada. This vital market reach led the megaregion to become a hotspot for both domestic and international businesses and their respective operations, contributing over $6 trillion in total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024. When combing through the more than 5,000 project investments announced throughout the Great Lakes region from August 2023 to July 2025, quite a few industries emerged as dominant while paying homage to legacy industries. By total number of new projects, the top 10 industries are as follows: Machinery, Equipment & Construction (836); Business & Financial Services (646); Food & Beverage (585); Transportation & Logistics (538); IT & Communications (343); Chemicals & Plastics (331); Metals (296); Consumer Products (262); Electronics (241); and Automotive (227). ILLINOIS Illinois led the pack with 1,229 project announcements during this period. The state currently holds the fifth largest GDP in the nation behind Florida, although it is not too far behind its Great Lakes neighbor, New York. Site Selection named the state’s Chicago- Naperville-Elgin metro area the No.1 Tier 1 Metro for the 12th consecutive year in 2024, bolstered by over 580 new and expansion project investments alone. Over the past two years, the metro region attracted the majority of 169 announced business and financial services operations in Illinois, driven by the city’s affordable commercial real estate offerings in comparison to other top markets. The metro has already recorded over 3.1 million sq. ft. of T LEADING INDUSTRIES leased office space in 2025, representing one of the market’s strongest years since 2018, according to Newmark. A closer breakdown of projects by quantity reveals the state drew 226 new investments in transportation and logistics; 189 in machinery, equipment and construction; 127 in food and beverage; and 92 in consumer products. While Illinois only saw 70 IT & communications projects, they delivered the largest investment boost. These investments were led by Compass Data Centers, CyrusOne, Stack Infrastructure, Aligned Data Centers, Stream Data Centers and many more who brought billions into Illinois, mainly in Chicago’s suburbs. OHIO Ohio followed with 990 total projects, led by the machinery, equipment and construction sector at 193 projects. The sector saw a healthy mix of new and expansion investments toward manufacturing, distribution and office space. Data show these operations preferred top Ohio locations such as the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colombus, Findlay and Dayton-Kettering- The Great Lakes continues to attract large-scale manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, which has operations in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario and Québec. Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company Industries That Power the Great Lakes by ALEXIS ELMORE54 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 Beavercreek metros. Of the food and beverage projects throughout the state, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz Inc. delivered the largest investment, a $ million food preparation and distribution facility in Hancock County. e more than , -sq.- ft. facility is expected to become operational by mid- , creating new jobs in the region. Sheetz’s investment plans additionally include two new storefront locations in the county to expand the project’s impact locally. e state saw a tie with metals and chemicals and plastics projects. Both industries have been foundational to the state’s manufacturing legacy, which has cemented Ohio as the second top steel-producing state and the No. state for plastics and resin manufacturing. Moving away from manufacturing, Ohio pulled in business and fi nancial services and transportation and logistics investments. NEW YORK New York was the only other Great Lakes state to attract over projects during this period, accounting for a total of . By no surprise, business and fi nancial services investments, of those landing in New York City, set the state’s roster apart. Otherwise, New York saw a diverse mix of industry investment across top-performing sectors with IT & communications, machinery, equipment & construction, food and beverage and life sciences projects. e state’s robust fi lm industry led its IT & communications sector’s top projects. Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacifi c and Blackstone’s $ million purpose-built studio development at Pier in Manhattan, which began construction in , is expected to become operational by the end of , creating direct jobs. Over the next years, the project will contribute a $. billion economic impact, supporting the state’s overall $ . billion total economic output. At the same time, the $ million, -job East End Studios Sunnyside Campus in Queens is scheduled to open doors to the , -sq.-ft. production studio in September . In April , Chobani announced plans for a $ . billion dairy processing plant in Upstate New York, marking the largest natural food manufacturing investment made in the nation. e .-million-sq.-ft. plant will be housed at a -acre site once home to the Griffi ss Air Force Base in Rome, creating , direct jobs ONTARIO & PENNSYLVANIA Ontario and Pennsylvania remained neck- in-neck with and projects, respectively. e Canadian province didn’t see major outliers across its top sectors — machinery, equipment & construction ( ); food & beverage ( ), IT & communications ( ); transport & logistics ( ); chemicals & plastics (); metals (); and business & fi nancial services ( ) — though fresh investments place focus on the region’s manufacturing capabilities and agricultural strengths. Homegrown sweets manufacturer Ferrero Group invested $ million in the expansion of its Brantford site in early , targeting an array of new product off erings. e project will create new jobs and introduce production of Ferrero Rocher chocolate squares and manufacture Nutella Biscuits for the fi rst time in North America. e company stated that it would resource its ingredients and packaging materials solely from Ontario farmers and suppliers. Within this two-year period Ontario saw an infl ux of automotive investment as well, albeit representing only of its total projects. Ford Motor Company and Linamar Corporation ushered in a combined $. billion toward manufacturing facility expansions as both companies aim to increase EV production activity. Anticipate supply chain support for regional automotive activity to scale as Tokyo-based chemicals company Asahi Kasei announced Ontario’s largest project investment in May , according to the data. e company is constructing the country’s fi rst industrial-scale EV battery separation plant at Port Colborne, whose ideal geographic positioning aims to enhance Asahi Kasei’s presence in the North American market. From to , Pennsylvania secured the Great Lakes region’s best investment performance with a keen focus on driving AI and energy innovation. e state’s most impressive investment infl ux came in July , as over $ billion in new technology and energy projects were announced across the commonwealth. Food & Beverage Construction, Equipment, & Machinery Transportation & Logistics Automotive Business & Financial Services TOP INDUSTRY BY PROJECT INVESTMENT 2023–2025alifornia-based Amgen announced on April 25 that it will invest $900 million to expand its Central Ohio manufacturing facility in New Albany, bringing the total number of jobs created to 750 and the total investment in the Columbus region to over $1.4 billion. “Amgen has been a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of biologic medicines since 1988. Today’s investment reinforces our ongoing commitment to expanding U.S. manufacturing and ensuring patients around the world have access to our innovative medicines,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and CEO at Amgen. “Ohio offers a supportive business climate, skilled workforce and strategic location, making it an ideal choice for this next phase of our investment.” Amgen, which has a market cap of $154 billion, entered Ohio in June 2021, when the by RON STARNER CASE STUDY: AMGEN 56 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 Amgen’s new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in New Albany, Ohio Photos courtesy of AmgenGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 57 Thousand Oaks-headquartered firm announced plans to invest in a biomanufacturing plant in Central Ohio. The investment marked the company’s expansion into the Columbus region, enhancing its U.S. manufacturing capabilities and creating 400 jobs. Sandra Rodriguez-Toledo, vice president of site operations for Amgen, said, “Our decision to expand in the Columbus Region reflects the area’s robust infrastructure, skilled workforce and supportive business environment. We are committed to being a long-term partner in this community and look forward to advancing our mission of serving patients worldwide from our New Albany facilities.” The move comes as Amgen also embarks on a $650 million, 750-job expansion of its plant in Juncos, Puerto Rico. In a September 19 interview with Rodriguez- Toledo, we learned more about the site selection process that led Amgen to select Ohio not once but twice for expansions that ultimately will support an annual payroll of $75 million in the Buckeye State. When we asked Rodriguez-Toledo why Amgen originally picked a site in the 12,000- acre New Albany International Business Park, she said, “We selected Ohio in 2021 for several factors. Different places in the U.S. were considered, but Ohio made the most sense for Amgen. The land in New Albany was ready to start construction, and since we had a need to have the operation up and running in 26 months, the deal happened. Secondly, the site in terms of how it is located for distribution centers was perfect. Thirdly, the diversity of the workforce and partnerships with universities to supply workers were critical.” FROM 13 STATES TO 1 WINNER A broad search covered 13 states, according to Rodriguez-Toledo, before the one in Central Ohio emerged at the winner. Incentives sealed the deal. “The incentives that are more related to the workforce are very helpful. Those incentives will go toward training the workers that we are going to hire,” she added. On that count, Rodriguez-Toledo said the hiring process has begun. “We have already started the hiring process for those technical positions and the leadership in order to be ready to continue recruiting. Heads of all functional areas have already been recruited, as well as the more technical jobs for construction,” she said. “We will continue to do that next year to be ready for full operations to commence in 2028. We are doing curriculums for these job training programs through our partnerships with Columbus State University and The Ohio State University.” Jennifer Chrysler, community development director for the New Albany, located in Franklin and Licking counties, called the Amgen deal “one of the most exciting projects we have worked on in the city.” Several factors made Amgen take notice of New Albany, she says. “We have been the home of the international headquarters of Abercrombie & Fitch since 2005. We worked with One Columbus and JobsOhio to see how we could diversify our base of industry and use our assets to attract other companies,” she says. “When manufacturing came back to the state of Ohio, we were ready to take advantage of that trend. That is how the supply chain for the personal care and beauty sector came to locate here.” The city even has a name for this place: the New Albany Personal Care and Beauty Campus. Today, that campus has 11 companies, 1.4 million sq. ft., 1,500 jobs, $144 million in cumulative investment, $28 million in infrastructure, and a temp agency for cross-training. Not bad for a community that up until 2010 was so small that it was known as a village. The 2010 Census changed that and promoted New Albany to city status. “We understand speed to market. We started to earn a name for ourselves nationally,” says Chrysler. “That is how we managed to get on the radar screen for Amgen. The beauty park rose up and attracted them. Amgen quickly started to investigate what made the beauty park so successful. We had our first visit with them in the middle of the pandemic. We had to caravan in a string of 12 cars because we could not all ride together. We shared our strategic plan with them. They saw very quickly that we do what we say we are going to do. When we showed them how to go from concept to a shovel in the ground, that is how we positioned ourselves for the first announcement.” “ Given our accelerated timeline, it has been remarkable to see how we have been able to make the impossible possible. ” — Sandra Rodriguez-Toledo, Vice President of Site Operations, AmgenNext >