Please join us on December 7th for the release of our Illinois Innovation Index highlighting University Entrepreneurship . The Illinois Innovation Index for University Entrepreneurship has tracked entrepreneurship and commercialization emanating from the state’s universities for more than a decade. This report will highlight funding wins, best practices across sectors, pitch competitions, and major milestones achieved by IL-based entrepreneurs.

Over the past two decades, universities across the state have also embraced the role of supporting entrepreneurial faculty and students by providing additional resources and guiding the creation and growth of new ventures. This work has led Illinois’ universities to further increase their economic value to the state through direct support of new business creation and job growth.

In support of the index report, we will also be sharing insights from the pilot assessment of our Venture Engine program. This pilot review will showcase data from a full year of programming, capturing corporate-startup connections, ecosystem growth, demographic impact, and share next steps for the future of Venture Engine in its support of the startup community.

This event will include a 30 minute panel discussion featuring leaders from University Tech Transfer, Incubators, and startup founders. Our conversation will touch on highlights from each of these two reports in order to provide color to the data featured in our assessments.