< Previouss of July , , the Illinois Secretary of State’s offi ce had recorded a total registered electric vehicle count of more than , in the state, nearly double the , tallied in July and nearly six times the , documented in . Backed by forward-thinking state policies supporting clean energy and clean tech, Illinois is charging up its base of talent and knowledge to meet company requirements, from specialized community college programs to the latest discoveries at recognized EV battery research pioneer Argonne National Laboratory. ere’s no better example than Normal, Illinois, part of the , -strong metro area of Bloomington-Normal, where EV innovator Rivian in fi rst launched negotiations to purchase the recently closed Mitsubishi Motors plant. Accelerate to today and Rivian employs around , people from the region as it nears completion of a $ . billion, . million-sq.-ft., -job expansion of its nearly -million-sq.-ft. manufacturing complex to produce the company’s next-generation R model. In early the company announced a . million-sq.-ft. supplier park that would add new jobs initially and attract a nearly $ million investment from Rivian. Before you knew it, seat manufacturer Adient was investing $ million and pledging to create its own jobs in Normal. Incentives totaling $ million from the state through its Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) are important to Rivian’s main plant expansion. But just as important is that next generation of talent. A -week 58 ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE WORKFORCE Rivian’s growing production base in central Illinois is but one emblem of a statewide focus on growing the clean tech workforce. A Illinois Shifts into Talent Overdrive by ADAM BRUNSILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE 59 intensive internship program has proved successful, including study in such areas as self-driving software development, product development in supply chain and operations, and manufacturing engineering for battery cell development. So have skills training programs such as SkillBridge (for exiting military service members), an emerging technology co-op program and a technical trades program for the company’s service centers throughout the country. Shortly after the establishment of the manufacturing plant in Normal, Rivian and Heartland Community College successfully collaborated to launch the state’s first EV manufacturing training programs in fall 2021, says Rivian Director of Engineering and Manufacturing Learning and Development Hugh Shadeed. “The public-private partnership continues to strengthen the electric vehicle talent pipeline and drive economic growth in McLean County and surrounding areas,” he says. “Rivian is also working with community groups like the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and Local Workforce Innovation Areas to establish entry level manufacturing programs. Our goal is to leverage community-based organizations like the YWCA, Minority Business Development Center, and others to deliver these programs at no cost to eligible participants.” Heartland Partnership In mid-July 2025 Rivian showed more than 40 positions available connected to its site in Normal, including intern positions at UIUC Research Park an hour’s drive away in Champaign, home to the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign. But one of the most crucial partnerships is right in its Normal backyard, where Heartland Community College (HCC) operates the Electric Vehicle-Energy Storage Manufacturing Training Academy (EVES), featuring a range of certificate and degree programs encompassing the two career pathways EV and energy storage manufacturing offer. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) supported the construction of the facility with a nearly $7.5 million capital grant, with HCC and employers kicking in $1.5 million in leveraged funds. “Heartland Community College currently supports 32 U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprentices employed by Rivian Automotive in their Rivian Technical Trades program for Industrial Maintenance Technician and Tool and Die Maker,” says Curt Rendall, HCC’s executive director of program development and innovation. “We are now expanding the program into the Production Technologist occupation through a pre-apprenticeship pilot program with the American Association of Community Colleges through their Department of Labor Apprenticeships Building America EV Hub grant.” Overall, HCC’s apprenticeship program includes 102 current apprentices across employers in manufacturing, health care and IT, Rendall says. Moreover, HCC continues to collaborate with other community colleges through state- wide consortia, regular forums and targeted workforce development initiatives including leadership within the Illinois Innovation Network, the Rev Up EV Technology initiative, and the Make It In Illinois campaign, says Rendall, noting that Normal, Illinois, is ground zero for Rivian vehicle production and for innovative workforce development partnerships. Photos courtesy of Rivian Rivian’s new Chicago workspace and showroom are a reflection of the work output at the EV company’s manufacturing campus in Normal, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Rivian60 ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE strong partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the German American Chamber of Commerce Midwest continue to aid HCC in connecting directly with employers. Multiplying Pathways In April 2025, TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur celebrated the grand opening of the company’s $45 million, 260,000-sq.-ft. Clean Energy Innovation Hub, which onshores critical EV component manufacturing and provides training and research opportunities. Early in 2023 the department awarded a total of $21 million to Richland Community College & the City of Decatur to create an Electric Vehicle (EV) Innovation Hub, which includes an EV Electric Compressor Component Manufacturing Center, a Climatic Center for Innovation & Research, and an EV + Energy Workforce Training Academy. This first of its kind manufacturing, workforce, and research and development center for excellence will lead to a renovated and expanded manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois, completed through a partnership with TCCI Manufacturing, Richland and the City of Decatur. Grant dollars will be used to construct research, education and workforce training spaces. The project will transform the facility to meet critical needs in the EV supply chain, and the expanded investment in climatic research and workforce development initiatives will benefit the entire Illinois EV ecosystem. “Partnering with TCCI is a game-changer for our students and our community,” adds Tamika Thomas, Director of Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) at RCC. “This collaboration gives our students the unique opportunity to learn inside a facility where innovation is happening in real time, where EV and hybrid compressors are designed and built.” The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Public Act 102-0662, was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pritzker on September 15, 2021. CEJA includes provisions to phase out carbon emissions from the energy and transportation sectors. The Illinois EPA is directed in CEJA to establish rebate and grant programs for electric vehicles and charging stations and oversee the phase- out of fossil fuel-fired electrical generation units. The State also has backed an Advanced Manufacturing Academy at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville, which opened in fall 2024 on the perimeter of the St. Louis metro area. The first phase of the center creates a new precision machining career pathway. A dozen miles away, State funds totaling $25 million have supported expansion of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center, which will serve growing CTE demand at 10 area high schools (and potentially more). The expansion will allow enrollment to increase from the current 575 to an expected 900 students annually. Career pathways range across 15 areas from cosmetology to auto body and building trades, with new pathways coming in HVAC/R, aviation mechanics, avionics, EMT, and three additional programs to be named at a later date. Another Manufacturing Training Academy is located at Kankakee Community College (KCC), near where Gotion is building a $2 billion battery plant. KCC annually trains around 1,500 community members through non-credit employment programs, workshops and continuing ed courses in key skills areas. Dr. Melanie Whitelow, the new director of Continuing Education and Business Partnerships at Kankakee Community College, says there’s demand in sectors like manufacturing, logistics and health care across Kankakee County — “which translates into real opportunity for residents ready to upskill. The Manufacturing Training Academy is a game- changer — increasing access to career pathways tied to real wages and real employer demand. “Our Academy builds on KCC’s existing strengths — like non- credit professional development and continuing education — by offering a dedicated training center focused on in-demand, stackable credentials,” she says. “Local businesses help guide our curriculum to ensure graduates can step into jobs quickly, confidently and with the skills employers need.” “ The Manufacturing Training Academy is a game- changer — increasing access to career pathways tied to real wages and real employer demand. ” — Dr. Melanie Whitelow, Director of Continuing Education and Business Partnerships, Kankakee Community College Tamika Thomasy number of higher education institutions receiving federal obligations for science and engineering in FY2023, Illinois ranked No. 6 in the nation with 48 schools receiving nearly $1.9 billion, the National Science Foundation reported in 2025. It’s safe to say the state’s colleges and universities have a penchant for industry partnership and pioneering R&D. Drawn from university newsrooms, these highlights from a cross-section of those institutions show where the scientific research is going ... and where economic development is likely to follow. Southern Illinois University Carbondale In May 2025, SIU Carbondale reached rarefied air: After attaining the designation of Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production (R1) from the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education in February, the school learned it was one of 479 schools earning the Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation, part of Carnegie’s new Student Access and Earnings Classification, which measures whether institutions are enrolling and creating opportunities for students in communities they serve and whether students earn competitive wages after they attend. SIU Carbondale is one of only 21 schools to attain both designations. SIU Carbondale is one of six R1 universities in Illinois, including Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and U of I Chicago. In 2023, SIU Carbondale had 102 research doctorates and $58.3 million in research expenditures, a university release stated, helped not only by work on the Carbondale campus in such areas as rare earth element recovery, cognitive computing and unleaded aviation fuel, but also the School of Medicine campus in the state capital of Springfield. 62 ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE UNIVERSITIES & RESEARCH B Snapshots of World-Changing R&D by ADAM BRUNS An aerial view from above Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management takes in the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Chicago skyline. Photo courtesy of Northwestern University64 ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE Southern Illinois University Edwardsville For the fiscal year ended in June 2024, SIUE’s Office of Research & Projects reported 188 research and project awards valued at more than $33 million. Among the most significant were 17 awards worth nearly $4 million that went to the National Corn-to-Ethanol Center at SIUE. In March 2025, a 55,000-sq.-ft. workspace, research lab and social impact hub in downtown Alton, Illinois, called The Wedge and SIUE announced a partnership that they said will “transform the economic landscape of the greater Alton Metro Region” when The Wedge opened in April. “This partnership represents a pivotal moment for our region,” said AltonWorks CEO John Simmons. “By bringing together SIUE’s research capabilities and educational programming with The Wedge’s innovative workspace, we’re creating unprecedented opportunities for economic growth, workforce development and community engagement.” The project followed the installation of a $20 million 10G fiber network made possible by funding from the State of Illinois. Northern Illinois University In May 2025, the NIU Engineering at RVC (Rock Valley College) team took Grand Champion honors for the second year in a row at the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) national competition in Ames, Iowa, which involves the construction and operation of a specially designed bicycle. The NIU Engineering Program at Rock Valley College in Rockford was formed in 2016 in collaboration with regional industry partners to foster talent in the Rockford area. Students can earn their associate degree in engineering from RVC and go on to earn a bachelor’s in engineering from NIU, all on the RVC campus in Rockford. A crucial industry partner to the institutions and to the NFPA competition is Danfoss Drives, a manufacturer based in the Rockford area. Ongoing work at NIU includes projects backed by federal grants that focus on lithium-ion batteries, superconducting microelectronics and hail storms. Illinois State University The state’s first public university is located in Normal, where Rivian continues to invest in a major manufacturing complex. Rivian Director of Trade Compliance Julie Hoeniges in May 2025 was appointed to serve as a member of the ISU Board of Trustees. A total of $31.6 million in external grant funding has been awarded to Redbird scholars, the school notes. Among the school’s innovations are the creation of the ARCS (Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship) program to support interdisciplinary scholarship; a new Connected Communities Initiative between ISU and OSF HealthCare; a new data science degree program; and the establishment of a new college of engineering. Home to more than 20,000 students, Illinois State is also home to such industry partnership resources as the Illinois Innovation Network hub; the Adlai Stevenson II Center for community and economic development; the Center for Insurance and Risk Management; and the Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign In March 2025, Wolf Creek Farm, based in Williamsville, was named the recipient of the Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism at the 2025 AgTech Innovation Summit hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park, which is home to more than 120 companies and more than 2,000 affiliated employees. Over the years it’s supported more than 350 startups with an array of assets that include Class A office space, wet labs, prototyping labs, light manufacturing, the EnterpriseWorks incubator and LabWorks, a facility that opened in early 2024 to support growth-stage, deep-tech and science-based startups. Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in July 2025 awarded EnterpriseWorks $3 million through the state’s Tech Incubator Enhancement Grant Program in order to help the university move forward with a second incubator. “The $20 million project has been scoped to align with growing opportunities in bioprocessing and light manufacturing across the region within the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub,” the university announced. Since its opening in 2003, companies launched at EnterpriseWorks have raised over $1.4 billion in venture capital and $200 million in Small Business Innovation Research federal grant funding. In November 2024, the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) opened the $252.5 million, U.S. Department of Energy-funded Plant Biology Innovation Greenhouse in Research Park. Northwestern University With more than $600 million in federal obligations for science and engineering in FY2023, Northwestern University ranked No. 18 in the nation. A new steering committee looks to further leverage data science and artificial intelligence (DS/AI) to enhance research and boost discovery.ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE 65 “By embracing our unique cross-disciplinary strengths,” said Northwestern University President Michael Schill, “we can make groundbreaking contributions to shape the future of DS/ AI and address society’s most pressing challenges.” NAISE, a collaborative research initiative founded in as a partnership between Northwestern and Argonne National Laboratory, serves as a multidisciplinary hub that bridges the expertise and resources of both institutions, fostering cutting-edge research in materials science, energy, environmental sustainability and computational modeling. In September , the Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine (CRN), formerly part of the now- closed Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology (SQI), became a standalone University Research Institute and Center (URIC), one of nearly two dozen at the campus that engage around faculty members from more than departments. Materials are certainly material to eff orts by Northwestern engineers in the new US National Science Foundation Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity Engineering Research Center (HAND ERC), where they are working to develop dexterous, intelligent robot hands with the ability to assist humans with manufacturing, caregiving and the handling of precious or dangerous materials. “We’re working toward the day, probably a decade down the road, when a small manufacturing fi rm can hire people who know its business, are not programmers, but can buy a manufacturing robot and put it to use very quickly and quite diff erently from the way robots are used today,” said Professor J. Edward Colgate, director of HAND ERC, who with a colleague in the early s invented new collaborative robots or “cobots” in partnership with General Motors. University of Chicago On July at the Global Quantum Forum in Chicago, IBM and the University of Chicago announced their intent to off er startups at the university’s Duality quantum accelerator resources and support to develop quantum software and explore algorithms and applications that could help unlock the potential of quantum computers. is includes access to the IBM Quantum System Two planned to be deployed at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), a multibillion-dollar, -acre public-private development located on the site of a former U. S. Steel South Works plant near the mouth of the Calumet River on Chicago’s Southeast Side. e park will include shared cryogenic facilities, equipment labs and research spaces. Duality is the nation’s fi rst quantum startup accelerator led by multiple research and industry leaders, including the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Quantum Exchange, along with founding partners the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Argonne National Laboratory and P. With a ribbon cutting in July 2025, Argonne National Laboratory has fully opened its Aurora exascale supercomputer, built in partnership with Intel and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to researchers around the world. Photo by Argonne National Laboratory66 ILLINOIS INVESTMENT GUIDE NEXT GENERATION AGRICULTURE, AG TECH AND FOOD PROCESSING by ALEXIS ELMORE Why Illinois Became A Key Ingredient ncreased product demand is a welcome challenge for any company, especially when a farmer-owned cooperative becomes the nation’s fastest- growing ice cream brand. In the past four years, over 4.4 million new consumers set out to purchase a 48-ounce family-sized Tillamook ice cream tub, and more than half of these sweet teeth were located on the U.S. East Coast. There was just one not-so-sweet logistical problem— the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) had been exclusively churning out ice cream from its homebase in Tillamook County, Oregon, for the past 116 years. A milestone moment had arrived. The company decided it was time to explore a national expansion for the first time since its founding. A site selection search led TCCA to Central Illinois, a region known best for its agricultural strength. TCCA Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Mike Bever says the Macon County city of Decatur stood out for five reasons: the city’s strong business climate, affordable utilities, access to high-quality dairy, prime location and close proximity to new customers in the U.S. Midwest and East Coast. “While we do not disclose the exact cost figures publicly, this facility was a major investment for our company and one that we know will continue to deliver benefits for our business long into the future,” he notes. In June, operations officially began at the 41,000-sq.-ft. Decatur facility. Production will focus on Tillamook’s 48-ounce family- size ice cream and its 3-gallon foodservice ice cream products, although Bever says a potential growth opportunity would be incorporating a pint size depending on market demand. No flavor will be left behind once the plant fully ramps up, as all 33 Tillamook flavors will be introduced. Fifty new jobs have been created at the facility, but that number is expected to scale alongside increased production capacity. “We estimate that the facility will produce nearly 3 million gallons by the end of 2025, and over the next two years, we will ramp up to 15.5 million gallons annually,” says Bever. “Some flavors currently in production are Tillamook’s classic flavors like Vanilla Bean, Oregon Strawberry and Mudslide.” The most vital aspect of this new facility was forming a partnership with the Midwest- based dairy co-op, Foremost Farms Cooperative. It is one of the largest IThe Decatur plant is the first step in TCCA’s national expansion. Photos courtesy of Tillamook dairy cooperatives in the nation, encompassing farmers in seven Midwest states — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin— and will serve as the Decatur facility’s direct milk supplier. “As with all our milk supply partners, Foremost aligns with TCCA’s values and adheres to the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management program standards, a common set of practices for the humane and ethical treatment of dairy cows,” Bever continues. “Which is a priority for Tillamook for all of the milk we source for our products.” Beyond Tillamook’s new venture in the city, Decatur has become a hotspot for forward-looking industry activity. Last year, plant-based food and industrial ingredients manufacturer Primient announced it would invest $400 million to enhance its Decatur facility. The project will modernize its feed, germ and drying processes; improve syrup refining; enhance safety and equipment; and provide workforce training and development opportunities. Meanwhile, France-based Innovafeed launched its first U.S. Insect Innovation Center in Decatur where Hermetia illucens, also known as black soldier flies, will be bred. Direct access to the largest corn mill operations in the world, owned by ADM, utilizes ample corn-by products to develop insect meal, oil and soil amendment used for sustainable animal and pet feed. “Innovative, exciting new approaches to agricultural and environmental challenges are what Illinois is all about, from the invention of the farm silo to global leaders like Innovafeed,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This expansion, perfectly situated in Illinois’s rich corn country, demonstrates a commitment to Illinois as a place to grow and continue to innovate, and I’m glad to welcome Innovafeed to Illinois.” Tasteful Confidence in Illinois While the state has made a name for itself in several key industries, its agricultural dominance remains unwavering. The industry makes up 13% of the state’s gross domestic product, contributing about $120 billion annually to the Illinois economy. This activity has positioned Illinois as the largest exporting state in the U.S. Midwest, accounting for $13.7 billion in total exports in 2023. Industry expertise runs deep, capable of handling every level of development from traditional farming, food processing and manufacturing to advanced research and technological innovation. In Central Illinois, one of the largest U.S. Department of Agriculture National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) Centers in the U.S. is located in Peoria. At any given time about 200 scientists are here exploring ways to advance sustainable agriculture practices and food safety and tackle environmental problems that affect public health, economic development and environmental quality. NCAUR has become a Next >